The Little Miko
by Inuyashasesshy4eva
Summary: Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru have joined forces in order to defeat Naraku. Though they still don't see eye to eye they don't engage in combat, but that could be that Kagome 'sits' Inuyasha before he can do anything. Naraku's determined
1. The Opening

Summary: Full Summary inside. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru have joined forces in order to defeat Naraku. Though they still don't see eye to eye they don't engage in combat, but that could be that Kagome 'sits' Inuyasha before he can do anything. Naraku's determined to end Kagome's life at any risk, will he succeed? Why is he trying to get to Sesshoumaru? And why is Sango's attitude towards Miroku changing lately?

The Little Miko

Chapter One – The Opening

Its was late and it was winter, the snow was thick and the air ice cold. The Western Lands was particularly chilly. It could have been the fact that it was the very place where the Prince of Japan resided, Prince Sesshoumaru the 'ice prince' to be exact. He was feared by almost anybody; human, demon or hanyou it didn't matter. The only thing that was disgraceful about him was that he was the older brother to the hot-headed half breed Inuyasha. There was nothing more shameful than to have a half breed in your family, especially if that family was the Royal family.

When his highness King Inutaisho (Kami rest his soul) was alive and well nobody dared to question his motives when he mated the Princess, Izayoi. Sure she was quite a beauty but she was human, nothing good would have come from it. Prince Sesshoumaru knew this all too well and tried his best to discourage his dear father, but to no prevail. This just angered the King causing arguments and fights. The close bond that the Prince and King once shared was no longer.

When the King died for Izayoi, Sesshoumaru took the responsibility of protecting the kingdom with the help of his mother Queen Sayuri (who returned after being exiled by Inutaisho). But Izayoi and her newborn son Inuyasha retreated to her palace where she raised the young hanyou into the young adult he was today.

Unfortunately Inuyasha had a lot of abuse when he was a child, because of his heritage humans and youkai thought of him as dirty. Disgusting. Vile. He was often referred to as "half breed" in the village where he lived by, he received the verbal abuse from both the children and adults. As a child he only ever met his big brother on occasions where Sesshoumaru had to speak to Izayoi about their father. He hardly ever acknowledged Inuyasha, he never felt he needed to. Inuyasha always stayed at Izayoi's side when he visited; he was always quiet but mischievous, this would sometimes amuse the youkai Prince but most of the time it annoyed his prideful self

But anyway. Izayoi died when Inuyasha was just a teen. When she died he was cast out from his old home and left to fend for himself. He didn't dare trouble his now hated half brother, he didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing him in such a vulnerable state. So the young hanyou headed north where he found a small village that was protected by an incredibly strong miko who went by the name of Kikyo. It didn't take long for the two to fall in love but it was soon broken apart when a dark hanyou who went by the name of Naraku rose and turned them against each other. Kikyo bound Inuyasha to the Goshinboku where she then perished. Inuyasha's enchanted sleep disgraced his royal blood further making youkai start to question whether Sesshoumaru was fit to be their ruler. Obviously they got the message when Sesshoumaru gave them a taster of his wrath.

50 years since then, the 15 year old teenager Kagome Higurashi fell upon this glorious time and wandered aimlessly when she came face to face with the fluffy eared Inuyasha. She freed him from his spell and bound him to her with ancient beads that Kikyo's sister Kaede entrusted to her. Unfortunately Kagome ended up breaking the famous Shikon no Tama setting them on their quest. On the way they met Shippo the young kitsune who was seeking revenge for the death of his father; Miroku the monk who had been cursed by Naraku and was out to get him, the only flaw he had was that he was an incredible flirt and a lecher. And then there was Sango, a demon slayer who had been tricked by Naraku resulting in losing her brother. She travelled with her trusty neko youkai Kirara and together they would seek out and destroy Naraku for destroying her village and resurrecting her brother and turning him against her.

Two years later and Naraku continued to get more crafty and powerful. Inuyasha got so angry and determined that he was willing to do anything to track the dark hanyou down. Kagome suggested that they join forces with Kouga the young leader of the wolf demon tribe who was madly in love with her but the hanyou sarcastically replied that he'd rather join up with Sesshoumaru. Kagome though took this seriously and sought the Prince out, she asked him and with enough persuasion he agreed on **his **terms.

Now Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru had joined their own groups together and were now doubly determined to track Naraku down. Sesshoumaru travelled with his retainer Jaken, a green little imp who was madly in love with the Prince; AhUn a two-headed dragon whom was very loyal and then there was Rin, she was a little orphan child who helped Sesshoumaru heal after a fight with Inuyasha. She was mauled by Kouga's wolves when Sesshoumaru found her, he revived her and ever since then she stood by his side.

As of now Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru were leading their group through the thick snow in the Western Lands. It was night and they needed to find a sufficient camp site. The palace was too far to get to, especially at night. It didn't help that it was mating season either. Inuyasha was being his usual restless self whilst Sesshoumaru kept his calm demeanour as they all neared a dark and dreary forest "Inuyasha, I suggest we take another path. This forest will be very dangerous for the women" Sesshoumaru suggested

"Heh we'll kill anyone who touches our women" Inuyasha snorted

"Their women?" Sango whispered to Kagome as she cradled Kirara in her arms

"I would S.I.T him for that but I'm just too tired to fight with him" Kagome groaned "Can't we just camp in a clearing?"

"Kagome if ya haven't realized it's snowing" Inuyasha snapped

"Inuyasha grow up" Sango snapped back "She's just tired that's all"

"Then have her ride Kirara"

"Inuyasha don't mean to intrude but the snow will be rather cold for Kirara's feet" Miroku stepped in

"Idiot" Shippo tiredly mocked from AhUn's back where he and Rin were currently cuddling together with a blanket around them both

"Prince Sesshoumaru how much longer?" Rin sneezed

"Be quiet girl, we'll get there when we get there!" Jaken snapped from AhUn's side

"Don't talk to her like that imp" Kagome almost growled. She stumbled over to the children and checked their foreheads "They are starting to get a fever, we have to hurry up"

"There's a cave not too far from here but we would have to trek through the forest" Sesshoumaru explained

"Well I'd rather be attacked by a lust driven youkai than have the children die from pneumonia" Kagome breathed as she rubbed her frozen arms _'Why did I have to demand on wearing my school uniform? Why didn't I accept the miko garb from Kaede?' _She cursed as she looked down at her bare numb legs

"Then we shall go through this forest if your demon slayer agrees too"

"Yes of course" Sango shivered "The sooner we get some warmth the better" Kagome completely envied Sango right now. She was wearing a winter attire and knew that if she was cold Miroku would willingly hold her

"Then let us proceed" For now Inuyasha allowed Sesshoumaru lead them as he knew where their destination lay, he unsheathed his trusty fang and stayed close to the girls. Sesshoumaru too unsheathed his Tokijen and stayed close to Rin. Quietly and alert they stalked through the pitch black forest waiting for something to jump out and attack them

"Hey Sesshoumaru, this is the very land you were born upon. Many youkai here must know you so they shouldn't attack you, right?" Inuyasha asked

"It's mating season Inuyasha and we have women with us, I doubt any lust driven youkai cares who I am at this particular moment" He replied "I am surprised you have not lost yourself to this season"

"Feh I can beat anything. Why aren't you affected by it then? Are you too much of a stiff to lust for a female"

"I know how to control my desires as most wealthy youkai can" He stated as he slashed a youkai in their path "I doubt your mother taught you how to control yourself. How is it that you have been able to control yourself through all these years?"

"Because he used to run off with Kikyo" Shippo smirked "I may be a kid but I know what this season is about"

"Why you little..." But he was cut off when a youkai jumped out of nowhere and threw Kagome over his shoulder

"Kagome!" Sango gasped

"Hey what are you doing?! Let me go!" Kagome screamed as she felt him grip her backside "Ah!" He then began to run with incredible speed through the forest

"Stay with the group" Sesshoumaru ordered Inuyasha "I'm faster than you so I'll be able to save her, the cave is just past these trees. Meet us there" He then ran with his demonic speed through the trees after the rogue youkai's scent.

It took him mere minutes to catch up to him, he dived through the air and landed in front of the youkai "Release her she is one of mine"

"Prince Sesshoumaru?" The youkai gasped realizing his majesty "I'm sorry your highness but I haven't had a female in so long, I can't oblige"

"Release her or I will end your pathetic life"

"You heard him" Kagome snapped "Now put me down you pervert!" She repeatedly thumped his back hoping it would result in him releasing her

"I'm sorry Milord but she is far too beautiful to let go" Sighing Sesshoumaru sheathed Tokijen and raised two glowing fingers

"Then you have sealed your fate" In an instant he lopped off the youkai's head and caught Kagome before she fell into the icy snow, he didn't want her falling ill along with the children "Did he injure you?" Kagome stared into his golden pools and numbly shook her head, she seemed completely mesmerised "Then let us return to Inuyasha" Ignoring her stare he formed his youkai cloud and took to the sky. This broke Kagome's trance and she gripped Sesshoumaru's haori for dear life

"Kami give me a warning next time" She snapped "Wait where are we going? This isn't where we left Inuyasha and the rest"

"They went on ahead to the cave, the pups needed warmth immediately" The speed of the cold air was like daggers slicing across Kagome's face, she gave a small whimper and tried her best to turn her back from it

"Could you slow down a little? It hurts"

"We're here" He then descended down to the entrance of the cave where they found everybody inside with a fire already lit

"Oh Kagome thank goodness your alright" Sango cried as she ran over to her friend and hugged her "I was so worried"

"I'm alright Sango" She smiled "Thanks to Sesshoumaru"

"That's Prince Sesshoumaru to you wench!" Jaken squawked

"Shut up" Kagome poked her tongue out at him and turned to Sesshoumaru "Thanks for saving me 'Prince' Sesshoumaru"

"Your welcome" Sesshoumaru then stalked past her and kneeled beside a sniffling Rin, he checked her forehead and frowned "Miko she have a fever" Kagome pulled the pack from her back and was at Rin's side immediately

"You most definitely have" Kagome frowned as she checked her "I want you to take some medicine, ok?" Rin gave a weak nod through half lidded eyes "Sesshoumaru could you hold her in your lap?" He gave a short nod and pulled Rin in his lap, Kagome then dug through her bag and pulled out a bottle of medicine and a spoon "I need you to take two of these, ok?" She then poured some of the medicine on the spoon and held it to Rin's lips. The young child timidly opened her mouth and swallowed it, she grimaced immediately and gagged "Keep it down honey, we have one more"

"No it's disgusting" She shook her head frantically

"You'll get worse love"

"She's right Rin" Sesshoumaru added as he brushed the bangs from her eyes. She gave a small nod and took the last spoonful, she quickly swallowed it and shuddered.

"That a girl" Kagome smiled "Wrap up warm with this" She then pulled out a woolly blanket and wrapped it around her "Sango here" Kagome tossed her friend two packets of ramen "Could you cook them up whilst I see to Shippo?"

"No problem" Sango smiled

"Sesshoumaru could I ask you to keep Rin in your lap? Your body temperature will help calm her fever"

"Hn" He gave another short nod causing Kagome to roll her eyes. She then lifted her bag and walked over to Shippo who was currently snuggling to Kirara

"How are you feeling Shippo?" She asked as she checked his forehead "Hmm you hardly have a fever, it must be because of your youkai strength. I want you to take some medicine just in case though"

"Okay Kagome" He smiled and took the first spoonful "Yuck, no wonder why Rin didn't like it" He then took another one and grimaced once again "Eww" He shuddered

"That's all you need to take" She smiled "Dinner should be ready soon" Kagome then packed up the medicine and sat by the fire to warm herself up

"Kagome your feet are drenched" Sango sighed "Miroku keep an eye on the food" She then kneeled by Kagome and pulled off her shoes and socks "Your feet are ice cold and have a tint of blue" She moaned "You're too selfless for your own good do you know that" She huffed playfully "Would it hurt to see to yourself first" She then dug through Kagome's bag and pulled out some bandages "These should warm your feet up nicely" She then began to wrap Kagome's feet "Just relax now, I'll see to Rin and Shippo"

"I'm fine Sango, honestly" Kagome smiled "My reiki will heal me no problem"

"Sango I think the foods gonna burn" Miroku called

"Argh" Sango then stormed over to Miroku and pulled the pot from the fire "Was that so hard?" She then got some bowls "Prince Sesshoumaru are you having any tonight?" He simply shook his head as he ran his fingers through Rin's hair "Okay" She then served everyone else their ramen. Not long later everyone finished eating and crashed out for the night.

During the night Kagome woke to the extremely chilly air, she sat up and rubbed her arms. The fire had died out so long ago she could tell "What are you doing up?" The silky voice made Kagome jump a mile, she turned to the voice to find Sesshoumaru still awake with Rin still in his lap

"Why are you still awake?" She whispered as she tiptoed over to him

"On watch" He replied "Her fever has gone down" Kagome checked Rin's fever and smiled gratefully as she sat down opposite the Prince

"Thank goodness"

"Why are you awake?" Sesshoumaru asked in a bored tone

"The cold woke me"

"Where is your quilt?" Kagome smirked and pointed to Rin, causing Sesshoumaru to raise a silken brow "You put yourself at risk of getting pneumonia yet you still give up your covers to Rin?"

"She needs it more, I'd rather give it up to her" She stroked Rin's hair and smiled softly

"You're very selfless"

"I guess it's just the way I am" She shrugged "Wouldn't you give up something to someone you love?"

"Hn I don't love anyone"

"You don't love Rin?" She tilted her head slightly as she wrapped her arms around her freezing knees

"..."

"Ha that's what I thought" Kagome teased "I know you love her Sesshoumaru, you can't fool me"

"I can easily fool you miko, you're not the most intelligent human ever. You're just a little naïve child"

"I'm not a child!" Kagome whispered annoyed "At least I'm not a pampered prideful Prince"

"You should have respect for your elders girl" He smirked obviously enjoying teasing the little miko

"You're right" She smirked back "What are you 2000?"

"900 actually, 18 in your human ages" He corrected

"Hmph" She huffed "Well I have to say that you look good for a 900 year old"

"As usual" He mused "And your age little miko?"

"15" She grinned

"Really?" He arched a brow

"I know, my friends all say I look older"

"I beg to differ, you merely look around 13"

"You're an ass you know that" She huffed "Snobby Prince" She muttered as she moved her hands to her arms and rubbed them

"Heh humans are so fragile, they let even the weather get to them"

"Well sorry that humans aren't built with an ice heart like yours, pompous ass"

"Are you going to continue with those pathetic insults wench?" He asked with a smirk

"Why you..." She then shivered "You're lucky I'm so cold otherwise I would slap you so hard China would feel it"

"I doubt you could harm me"

"I can purify you easily"

"I'm immune to _your _purification powers" He mused "I believe that dead miko had a better chance of bringing me to my feet than you do"

"You..." She was interrupted by a strong gale of ice cold wind whooshing into the cave and freezing the poor miko "...ah..." She whimpered softly as she sneezed

"We don't need more people getting sick" He sighed as he threw his boa at her "Wrap up and get some rest"

"T-thanks I guess" She wrapped the soft warm fur around her petite form and nuzzled it "I guess you have some compassion" She joked as she lay down by his sitting form "But that doesn't mean I'm gonna forget your rudeness"

"Any reason why you are resting so close to me?"

"Body heat" She breathed "Thanks again..." Sleep then took over her tired self

Sesshoumaru gazed down at the sleeping miko at his side and could help but smirk _'You're a __mystery little miko' _Another whoosh of wind entered mingling her scent with it as it hit Sesshoumaru's nose. She smelt absolutely exquisite, of vanilla and jasmine. He had never met a human who smelt so good. She was certainly strange, for a human she had such a unique beauty – beauty of a youkai. Snapping his eyes away from her beauty Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and continued to guard the small group...

**Hey guys sorry I haven't updated in a while**

**I hope you like my latest fic.**

**Reviews Please :)**

**Inuyashasesshy4eva**


	2. Snow, Ice, Pain

Chapter Two – Snow, Ice, Pain

Kagome curled up against Sesshoumaru's boa and sighed in content, she felt so warm and comfy that she never wanted to wake up. Even his lingering scent calmed her. Though she wasn't able to sleep any more as two children pounced on her exhausted form causing her to jump with a fright "Good morning Kagome" Rin and Shippo beamed, it seemed they were back to their old healthy selves

"Morning..." Kagome stretched as she slowly sat up with the children in her lap "I'm glad to see you both well again"

"Here's your blanket Kagome" Rin smiled as she handed the miko the sheet "Thank you for lending it to me"

"No problem" She then let out a sneeze and rubbed her nose

"Children why don't you go jump on Jaken whilst I talk to Kagome" Sango offered as she kneeled beside her friend. The children obeyed and pounced on the green imp. Sango then placed her palm on Kagome's forehead and frowned "You have a fever, perhaps we shouldn't travel today"

"I'm fine" Kagome shook off "We have more important matters to deal with than my health"

"The demon slayer's right" Sesshoumaru spoke up as he neared the girls "It is too dangerous for humans to venture far in this weather but it is also crucial to stay in this cave"

"Well what do ya think we should do? You're speaking all crap to me" Inuyasha huffed

"I suggest we proceed to my palace, it is roughly two hours from here. The humans should be able to withstand that"

"We can withstand more" Kagome huffed as she stumbled to her feet with Sesshoumaru's boa in her arms "Just because we're humans doesn't make us tiny weak insects" She threw his boa to him and shoved her blanket in her pack. Sesshoumaru wrapped his boa back over his shoulder and ignored the miko's outburst, instead he turned to his little brother

"I suggest someone should carry the miko, she's too drained to walk. The cold air kept her up last night" With that Sesshoumaru ordered Jaken to pack up and left the cave to scout the area

"Feh" Inuyasha then crouched in front of Kagome as she climbed onto his back "Damn it, you smell of my god damn brother. How did you manage to get his fur thing?"

"He gave it to me when I woke up late last night, since Rin had my covers he gave me his boa saying that we didn't need another person ill"

"Heh" Inuyasha then stood still supporting his best friend "Yo Miroku carry Kagome's pack will ya"

"Happy to" Miroku smiled as he threw Kagome's pack on his back "Shall we?" He motioned to where Sesshoumaru was currently standing with Jaken and AhUn and Rin and Shippo who were currently on the two-headed dragon's back

"Yeah come on" Inuyasha replied as they proceeded towards the cave's exit

"Come along Kirara" Sango called. The neko youkai mewed and jumped onto Sango's shoulder. Inuyasha and Co. walked up to Sesshoumaru who then began to lead the group towards his home.

Still exhausted Kagome's eyes slid closed as she coughed violently "Sesshoumaru it's not safe for Kagome to travel to the palace, two hours will kill her"

"That is he closest place for warmth Inuyasha" Sesshoumaru reminded "The miko will just have to make do for now"

"She'll die Sesshoumaru" Inuyasha snapped "There has to be somewhere close that will protect her"

"There's isn't, I know my own lands Inuyasha"

"Inuyasha...don't worry...I'm fine..." Kagome coughed

"Kagome" The hanyou sighed "We'll have to move faster guys" Inuyasha then began to speed walk passed his brother until he remembered that he didn't know the way to the palace "Move it Sesshoumaru, I won't have Kagome die over your laziness"

"Hold your tongue half breed" Sesshoumaru sneered as he caught up to his brother as they continued on in the same pace with the rest following close behind...

They had been travelling at least an hour now and Kagome just continued to get worse, it was also snowing, not helping things at all. The miko buried her head in Inuyasha's neck and tried her best to stay awake "Hang in there Kagome" Inuyasha encouraged. She gave a muffled reply and shuddered "Awe she's getting worse"

"Inuyasha is Kagome going to die?" Rin whimpered

"Of course not" Sango reassured "It'd take a lot more than this to kill Kagome"

Suddenly the wind began to pick up and howl violently. The snow became even heavier as if it was working with the wind to engulf the small group "Damn it a blizzard" The hanyou shouted

"Inuyasha we have no choice but to find shelter for Kagome" Miroku shouted from behind him "Kagome's breathing is getting heavier"

"Miroku there's no where to go! I would jump in a tree with her but we're stuck in one massive empty clearing that supposedly leads to the damned palace"

"But..."

"I'm trying my best here damn it!" Inuyasha shouted raising his fists, forgetting in that moment that Kagome was on his back. In a instant Kagome fell into the snow and cried out, she felt as if she had been stabbed with knives all over her petite body

"Inuyasha you fool" Sesshoumaru frowned. He walked over to the shaking miko and lifted her into his arms "I can smell death lingering on her, I shall fly to the palace with her before more harm comes to her. Keep heading West, I will send my head guard Monomaru out here to bring you to my home. Jaken should be able to lead you but some of the youkai in the area are rather formidable, Monomaru will protect you" He tightened his grip on Kagome and began to take to the sky "If I find my ward injured when you arrive I shall personally see to it that you pay" And with that the young Prince flew as fast as he could to the Palace of Japan.

Kagome was shaking violently and whimpering in his arms, she snuggled into his fur pelt and let out a shaky breath "Do not close your eyes yet miko" Sesshoumaru warned as he shook her slightly "Close your eyes now and you will be forever in the icy depths of death"

"I...I'll try..." Slowly and painfully she turned her gaze in the direction they were headed to find a giant magnificent palace in the near distance "B-beautiful..." Sesshoumaru's speed increased causing the miko to return to the warmth of the Prince's pelt. He wasn't far from his home now, he could already make out the golden gates where his men stood guard, prideful as always. His heart almost swelled at the thought of returning to his grand home, he hadn't visited in 3 months meaning a lot of work was awaiting him. He didn't mind though, as long as he remained in the comfort of his home he could care less. Landing in front of his barrier protected home the guards bowed lowly and opened the gates not daring to question their master's reason for carrying a human in his arms – the way a lover would. Two other guards repeated the previous actions and pushed open the double oak doors that kept them from the warmth of the palace, nodding to them Sesshoumaru entered his home where an emerald eyed and haired youkai approached him and bowed lowly

"Prince Sesshoumaru what an honour to see you have returned home to us safely" He then stood upright "In you absence..."

"Monomaru my half brother Inuyasha and his companions are on their way here, Jaken is leading them. Go to them and see to it that they are protected, my ward is with them and I do not want any harm to come to her" Sesshoumaru ordered cutting the youkai off

"Yes my Prince right away. Men!" Monomaru then assembled a few guards and headed towards Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru then carried Kagome up the long flight of steps and down the East wing where his most trusted healers lay. Using his free hand Sesshoumaru opened the door and entered the small surgery where his healers were currently gossiping

"Yuri" He called to his head healer as he lay Kagome down on the futon "This is the Shikon Miko, she is extremely ill and possibly close to death. See to it that she is healthy again. Do not fail me"

"Yes of course Prince Sesshoumaru" Yuri then called some of her healers over where they began to inspect Kagome. She checked the miko's temperature and frowned deeply, this girl had been exposed to the cold too long "The miko is suffering from a heavy fever that is all, she was close to catching pneumonia and frost bite but her powers healed her before any such thing could happen" Yuri explained to her master "We'll need to keep her wrapped up warm at all times and see to it that she eats"

"Other than that she is healthy?" Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow when Yuri shook her head

"When you brought her to me she had fallen unconscious. You especially know what happens when someone sleeps in this weather with a temperature that high, I am not certain but the Shikon miko may have fallen into a mild coma. If this is so then she will be unconscious for a week maximum"

"I see" He nodded

"I know you will not be happy about this Prince Sesshoumaru but the miko would heal better if she laid in the warmer part of the palace, the West wing to be exact" Yuri explained. The West wing was strictly forbidden to everyone except the royal family, she and a few other trusted servants

"That is fine, this woman is no mere guest. She is possibly the key to defeating Naraku" Sesshoumaru then lifted Kagome into his arms "Yuri follow me to her room" The old healer then gathered her supplies and followed her Prince out the door and to the West wing.

Sesshoumaru chose to lay the miko in the room opposite his, next to Rin's. That way his ward would be thrilled and he could protect her from some untrusted servants who dared to enter the West wing. He gently lay the miko upon the soft silky sheets where Yuri then pulled the covers over her and lit the fire in the fireplace (I think there were something similar to fireplaces then :p). "I shall stay with her until she is better my lord"

"Thank you Yuri" Sesshoumaru then left without another word. Yuri let out a small chuckle as she ran a rag in a bowl of warm water and set it upon Kagome's forehead

"Just like his father" She murmured as she brushed the bangs from Kagome's eyes "The pup should know by now that I know him too well. It would seem you're his new interest Shikon Miko" She mused...

**Well what ya think?**

**Sorry it's a tad short but you guys know how I like to have as many chapters as possible**

**Please review**

**Inuyashasesshy4eva**


	3. Mommy's Boy

Chapter Three – Mommy's Boy

The sun peaked through the blinds causing Kagome's eyes to squint, she unconsciously waved her hand in front of her trying to dispel the sun from her gaze. Giving up the little miko pulled the covers over her head and groaned. Wait! Covers? A bed? Blinds? Warmth? Kagome shot up in the bed and took in her surroundings; she found herself sitting in a massive bedroom that held a queen sized bed that she was currently sitting in, a massive walk-through wardrobe, a desk and a balcony that led to the annoying sun itself

"I see you're awake little miko" Kagome moved her eyes to the bedroom door to find Sesshoumaru standing there with his eyes on her "You've been unconscious for exactly a week"

"W-where am I? What h-happened?" She groaned. Sesshoumaru walked over to her and sat at her bedside

"You're in my palace. The cold weather became unbearable for you and you almost died, I brought you here where my healers took care of you" He then sighed "Yuri instead of spying behind the wall why don't you come in and check on the miko's health" Yuri cursed under her breath and entered "This is my head healer Yuri" Sesshoumaru explained "She cared for you during your minor coma"

"I'm glad to see you finally awake Shikon Miko" Yuri smiled as she walked over to Kagome and checked her temperature "You've healed nicely milady" Yuri then turned to her master "Prince Sesshoumaru may I ask that you leave so that I can help her Ladyship change into a robe before I take her to the hot spring?"

"Yes Yuri but do not leave her unattended, you know that there are a few servants here who would love to get their claws on her" Sesshoumaru then stood and moved his gaze to Kagome's "I shall tell Inuyasha that you're well" And with that the young Prince left. Yuri let out a small chuckle as she sat next to Kagome

"Umm excuse me ma'am but how come Sesshoumaru didn't just attempt to lop your head off for asking him to leave?"

"The pup holds far too much respect for me" The old healer smiled "I was the midwife when he was born and I have always protected him since his father's passing. I helped the Queen raise him into the Prince he is today"

"So you've know him all his life?" Kagome asked with a small grin

"Yes milady. I miss the days when he was a mischievous pup running around in the royal gardens teasing the servants. He was so adorable. If the great Inutaisho had a meeting with visiting lords and Sesshoumaru happened to wander in everyone would forget their own dilemmas and play with him" She mused "He was the most cutest thing ever"

"Do you have any pictures?" Kagome laughed

"He must tolerate you greatly if you're willing to tease him"

"I try my best" Kagome mused "I haven't introduced myself properly, I'm Kagome" She held out her hand and shook Yuri's hand "It's a pleasure to meet you Lady Yuri"

"Oh please milady you don't address me as lady, I am a simple healer and nothing more"

"Well I'm just a simple teenager yet you address me as 'milady'"

"You're no ordinary teenager, you are the Shikon Miko" Yuri stated "I am honoured to be in your presence"

"I didn't realize I was famous" Kagome laughed half heartedly

"Well anyway..." Yuri then ran up to the wardrobe, pulled out a bath robe and threw it to Kagome "Put that on milady and I shall take you to the hot springs"

"Ok but can you please call me Kagome not 'milady'?"

"I will unless we are in Prince Sesshoumaru's presence"

"No problem" Kagome then shakily got out of bed and quickly stripped off and wrapped the bath robe around herself

"Hmm your balance is slightly off, I can't support you either. If you fall my old legs will give out" She then pondered "Wait here" Yuri then left. Kagome then moved to the window by supporting herself on numerous things, she gazed out to find she had the view of the royal gardens. They were covered in thick snow even though the sun seemed to try its best to melt it

"Beautiful..."

"Miko" Upon hearing that famous silky voice Kagome turned too fast on her heal causing her to fall to the floor with a thud. She groaned and rubbed her backside "Why are you trying to walk around? Yuri informed me that you couldn't walk properly"

"So? Why are you here?" She snapped

"Yuri asked me to assist you to the hot springs" He then made his way over to her and grabbed her upper arm

"I'm fine" She tried to pull away but his grip was far too tight to even budge

"Oh really?" He rose a silken brow "Then how did you end up on the floor?" He then pulled Kagome to her feet and supported her by wrapping his arm around her waist

"Why are you helping me?" She glared

"Because Inuyasha is still asleep" He stated "Your other companions are forbidden from this part of the palace, only royalty are allowed in the West Wing"

"Then why am I here?" Kagome asked, her anger easing slightly

"Unfortunately I have some servants who are very lustful. It is still mating season and you are very vulnerable, they would do anything to have you laying beneath them"

"Eww" She shuddered as Sesshoumaru led her out of her room and down the hallway "When I'm healed will I be put into another wing?"

"When you are healed we will most probably leave" She then stumbled causing Sesshoumaru to bite back the urge to roll his eyes

"Well sorry for being human, Sesshoumaru" Kagome snapped making a servants passing by gasp "What's her problem?"

"She's surprised you actually have the gall to argue with me" He stated as they continued down. When they got to a small oak door Sesshoumaru pushed it open and helped Kagome inside. There inside lay a massive hot spring that looked absolutely gorgeous, Kagome mouthed a 'wow' when someone shouted

"SESSHOUMARU" Kagome saw Sesshoumaru wince slightly when Yuri ran in

"Prince Sesshoumaru...you're mother is here..." She then winced herself "She wishes to see you immediately" She then took Kagome from Sesshoumaru and helped her sit on one of the chairs by the spring

"What does she want?"

"She didn't say" Kagome then grinned evilly

"Awe you're a mommy's boy" She burst out laughing

"What?!" He growled through clenched teeth making Yuri bite back a giggle

"I think it's cute, after all these years you still hang with mommy" She held her aching sides as she screamed in laughter "Go on little Sesshou don't leave mommy waiting" Growling even more Sesshoumaru lifted Kagome into his arms and walked closer to the spring "Hey what are you...AH" Still in her bath robe, Sesshoumaru threw Kagome into the spring and left without another word. Kagome hit the surface and spluttered "Oh just he waits until I get my hands around his throat"

"Are you alright Kagome?" Yuri asked as Kagome swam over to her

"Yeah I'm ok" She sighed as she pulled off the ruined bath robe and cast it aside "I think I'm going to throw a bucket of water over him after and see how he feels"

"Hmm I would refrain from teasing the young Prince with the Queen here. She hates humans, she's the one who encouraged Prince Sesshoumaru to hate them too" Yuri stated "King Inutaisho left her for the human Princess Izayoi, since then the Queen has detested every human"

"Is she cold and heartless like Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked whilst washing

"No, she is a very kind, sweet and warm youkai. She only hates humans because she loved his highness when he left her for one, she has never forgiven him or the human race"

"What if she sees Inuyasha?" Kagome gasped. By now she had bathed and was now currently warming up in a new dry bath robe

"I doubt that will be a problem, Inuyasha doesn't seem like one to go out of his way to make himself known. The monk and demon slayer may be a problem though. You should be fine since you're the Shikon Miko, she'll most probably want to meet you" Yuri explained "She..." But she was cut off by the door swinging open to reveal a beautiful youkai with long silver hair tied into a high ponytail, golden luscious eyes, blood red lips, pale skinned, a curved blue marking on each cheek that matched the crescent moon on her forehead and wore a royally made kimono that was a mix of golds, magentas and silvers "Milady" Yuri fell to her knees and bowed lowly to the youkai in front of them. Sesshoumaru entered the room and to the youkai's side where he met Kagome's confused and slightly weary gaze

"Is this she Sesshoumaru?" The youkai asked

"Yes this is the Shikon Miko Kagome" Sesshoumaru then took a step forward "Miko this is my mother Queen Jen"

"Oh an absolute honour milady" Kagome bowed low to Jen praying that she hadn't somehow offended her majesty in any way

"Rise child" Kagome obeyed and rose to find the Queen standing right front of her. Her claws grasped Kagome's chin as she inspected her "How old are you?"

"15 years old milady"

"15? You are nothing but a mere human yet you possess a fully developed body at 15, just like a youkai's..." She then pondered as she released Kagome "You also have a rare beauty for your kind"

"Umm...thank you?"

"Sesshoumaru" Jen called whilst keeping her gaze on Kagome "This miko holds a massive amount of power even if it hasn't awoken yet. I suggest you take her as your mate, your pups would undoubtedly be even more powerful than your father" Kagome gapped at this

"Mother I am quite capable of finding my own mate" Sesshoumaru frowned "The miko and I would end up killing each other if we were a couple"

"I agree, he just threw me into the springs before he went to see you" Kagome added

"Come now Sesshoumaru" Jen said meeting her son's gaze "It's not like you'd be hard done by, she is beautiful and powerful. And she is also a virgin"

"Umm what does my virginity have to do with this?"

"Yuri you are dismissed" Jen ordered ignoring Kagome's question "Miko Kagome, follow me and I shall pick you out an outfit for you to wear today" She took Kagome's arm and led her away from the spring "Don't forget the information I just told you Sesshoumaru" She called from the hallway. Sighing Sesshoumaru just shook his head and went to his study to catch up with some work

As soon as the Queen and Kagome entered her temporary chambers, Jen went straight to the wardrobe and raided it "Tell me Miko Kagome, how long have you known my son?"

"Almost a year" Kagome replied "And you can just call me Kagome, milady"

"If that is what you preferred to be called then I won't argue with you" She then pulled out a midnight blue and silver patterned kimono and gave it to Kagome "If you'll put it on then I shall assist you with the ties"

"Umm okay" Kagome then slipped off her bath robe and pulled on the kimono along with her bra and knickers

"What a strange device" Jen commented as she gazed at Kagome's bra "Why do you wear such a thing?"

"It's something from my home that supports your bust" Kagome explained "I feel naked if I don't wear it"

"Well it has certainly helped you" Jen mused as she began to tie the kimono around the miko "Did my son really throw you into the hot spring?"

"Yes milady..." She then heard the Queen chuckle "What is it?"

"I think Sesshoumaru likes you Kagome, if not he wouldn't have acted so childish with you. Tell me what did you do or say to make him do that?"

"I umm...called him a...mommy's boy" She mumbled "It was no offence to you milady it's just that Sesshoumaru and I tend to tease each other a lot"

"I guessed that" She mused "And Sesshoumaru was always a daddy's boy. Believe me I could tell you so many embarrassing stories about him that you could hold over him for the rest of your mortal life" Jen laughed "Lots of them including him and the hot springs, he always hated baths when he was a pup"

"Oh really?" Kagome giggled. Jen finished the ties and pulled Kagome to sit on the bed with her "Do tell milady, I need to get him back for throwing me in the spring"

"I will but later" She smiled "There's so much to tell. I thought I could ask you a few questions?"

"Of course milady"

"How is it that my son and Inuyasha are under the same roof? I can smell the lazy hanyou from here" She grimaced as she felt her heart ache, she'd seen the hanyou from a distance before and it hurt to see how much he resembled Inutaisho

"Well they joined forces so that we can all defeat Naraku" She explained "It will be easier now that we're all a team"

"Ah Naraku is that troublesome half breed isn't he? Yes I remember he came to the palace once to make a bargain with Sesshoumaru who obviously declined. My pup made me hide as he didn't want Naraku using me against him later on, he's a smart boy"

"Strange. I've only ever seen him so protective with Rin" Kagome said more to herself "Umm you don't seem to like humans much from what I can see, do you like Rin?"

"I think of Rin as one of us since Sesshoumaru has raised her, she's like a granddaughter to me" Jen smiled "You're another human I've taken a particular liking too. I can also smell the monk and demon slayer who travel with Inuyasha, I will not take to kindly to them. To think that Sesshoumaru brought the very humans who are designed to destroy our kind into his palace"

"I assure you milady that Sango and Miroku would never cause trouble here, they only fight youkai if they have to"

"I don't doubt that but it's disgusting to think that they were raised for the very purpose of destroying us" She hissed "Youkai aren't raised to destroy their kind so why do they bother to do such a thing?"

"May I ask milady, why do you hate humans so much?"

"Don't think me a fool Kagome, I know Yuri has told you" She then smiled sadly "She's like the palace gossip...my best friend"

"I'm sorry"

"It is fine child" Jen then stood "Now I believe that you haven't eaten in over a week, the palace gossip travels far" She winked "Come along Kagome, I must have our new Princess of Japan fed"

"WHAT?!" Inuyasha fell through the door gaping at Kagome "You're doing my brother?"

"What? No of course not" Kagome snapped "How dare you accuse me of doing so!"

"Feh I've seen the way you look at him, I bet you have wet dreams about him every night"

"SIT BOY" The famous spell threw the hanyou to the floor "You disgusting pig" Kagome then kicked him in the gut "Come along milady, you shouldn't have to hear such filth" Jen then linked Kagome's arm and the girls left Kagome's chambers and to the dining room

"What...did I...say?" Inuyasha groaned as he tried to pull himself out of the small crater

"Well it could be the fact that you accused her of rutting with me and have erotic dreams of my person" Sesshoumaru mused from the door way

"How did ya know I said that?!"

"Inuyasha I think the whole palace heard you say that" Sesshoumaru then left the hanyou to get himself out of the crater whilst he went to tease the little miko who had began his new entertainment...

**Another chapter is finally up :)**

**Reviews please**

**Inuyashasesshy4eva**


	4. Fantasies

Chapter Four – Fantasies

Kagome entered the dining room at Jen's side where she was then seated. Jen took her seat next to her as lunch was served "Eat up Kagome you haven't eaten in over a week"

"Thank you" The young miko smiled as she tucked into her lunch "Do you come visit Sesshoumaru often?"

"Not really but I heard a rumour that he carried an unconscious female human here and lay her to rest in the West wing" Jen smirked "I was rather angry and suspicious at first until I found out it was you Kagome"

"Well I'm glad I didn't disappoint you" Kagome smiled "So can I hear one of these embarrassing stories about Sesshoumaru?"

"Hmm which one shall I tell you first" Jen pondered playfully "Ah I know. Once when Sesshoumaru was a pup he had gotten so dirty as pups do and refused to bathe. So he decided to hide from his father and I. Unfortunately he got himself locked in our bed chambers and since he was too little he couldn't open the door, the pup broke down crying. That's when we found him and dragged him off to his bath that he willingly took"

"Awe poor baby" Kagome burst out laughing "I almost feel sorry for him" Luckily she had already finished her food otherwise she'd be laughing it up everywhere

"Mother must you insist on telling the miko of my childhood?" Sesshoumaru sighed from the doorway

"Awe I didn't know you're afraid of baths Sesshoumaru" Kagome grinned "Poor puppy" All the servants gasped at Kagome's forwardness

"Unless you want wish to be soaked again miko I suggest you seal that big mouth of yours"

"You wouldn't dare" Kagome challenged as she stood from her seat with Jen who just looked on amused

"Wouldn't I?" Sesshoumaru then glided over to them and bent down to Kagome's height with his arms folded in his haori sleeves "You have no idea what I'm capable of miko"

"I have a name ya know, it's Kagome!" She snapped playfully

"I know too well what your vile name is"

"Hey my name is better than yours" She then poked his shoulder "At least people don't have a shortage of breath after they say mine"

"You're all mouth wench" Sesshoumaru then stood upright and turned to his mother "You must be exhausted from your journey mother, why don't you go rest? I'll take care of the weak miko"

"Hey I'm standing right here" Kagome almost growled

"Yes I believe some rest will do me some good" Jen laughed as she watched the two exchange insults "I shall see you two later...maybe" And with that she was gone

"Awe why did you send her away? I like your mother, she's really nice. Unlike you" Kagome pouted

"She also isn't a loud mouth, unlike you"

"Why you..." She was about to slap him when he caught her wrist with no effort at all

"I wouldn't try that if I were you" Sesshoumaru then pulled her to him "Unless you would like to feel the wrath of my claws"

"Heh I'll purify your ass"

"You can't control your powers well yet" He mused "Your feeble attempt would be in vain" He then released her and stepped back "Your friends are in the gardens with Rin. Go down the hallway and take a left, don't leave that area until you're fetched by a servant for dinner" And with that the young Prince turned and headed off to his own destination

"Jerk" Kagome muttered as she went to seek her friends...

For the rest of the day Kagome hung out with Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara and Rin. They mostly teased Jaken or played a game from Kagome's time called football where they used Jaken as the ball. The day had been pretty tiring and Kagome couldn't wait to return to her bed to rest, the small coma she had been put in had rather exhausted the poor girl.

After dinner Kagome excused herself and was relieved that she could now go to her room for some rest. Sighing heavily the little miko made her way to the West wing, minding her own business when she was stopped by two male servants "And where do you think you're going?" One asked

"My bed chambers" Kagome stated trying to slip past them

"Like Prince Sesshoumaru would let a human besides Lady Rin stay there" The other snorted as he grasped Kagome's chin "My my you are a pretty little thing"

"Hey ya thinking what I'm thinking bro?"

"Yep" He grinned "Girl you will come with us where you will give us the pleasure we desire"

"I don't think so" Kagome pulled out of the brothers' grasp and pushed them away

"Awe come on now don't be shy" They pushed her up against the wall and pinned her arms above her head "You're stunning"

"And delicious" The other one groaned as he licked up her neck

"Let me go!" Kagome snapped as she tried to move from their disgusting touch

"Be quiet wench" One backhanded her causing her to cry out in pain. They then began to meander their hands up her body to touch and grope her everywhere

"GET OFF ME" She screamed whilst squirming, trying her best to break free

"The only thing you should be screaming for is pleasure" One of the brothers murmured as he tore her kimono slightly whilst the other stepped back to let his brother have the miko first "I'm gonna enjoy this" He pressed himself up against her and gagged her with his hand as tears trailed down her cheeks. He was about to have his way with her when his sight was blinded in red. The next thing the servant knew was that he had been slashed through the gut and was currently laying on the floor waiting for death to take him

"BROTHER!?" The other servant screamed as he kneeled beside his brother's vile corpse "But...how...who...?"

"Take your pathetic sibling's corpse from my gaze and meet me in my study in 10 minutes" Sesshoumaru ordered as he walked into the scene "If you try to flee you will die"

"Y-yes Prince Sesshoumaru" The servant then threw his brother's mangled corpse over his shoulder and fled down the corridor. Sesshoumaru met Kagome's frightened gaze as he neared her. She was shaking violently as silent tears streamed down her beautiful features

"Are you injured?" She shakily shook her head and took slow painful steps toward him

"Sessh..." She immediately dived into his arms and cried out her pain into his haori. She grasped onto him and refused to let go "I...I thought they were..." Silently Sesshoumaru lifted Kagome bridal style and carried her off down the West wing. He entered her bed chambers and lay her upon her bed

"They hit you?" He more stated than asked as he brushed the back of his hand gently over her cheek. He then frowned and stood "I shall see to it that the surviving servant pays for this" He was about to head to the door when Kagome reached out and grabbed his arm

"Please..." She cried "...don't leave me..." Sesshoumaru once again met her trembling gaze and sat at her bedside. He had never seen the little miko look so afraid in his life, even when they fought Naraku he eyes never held such fear

"Miko I need to see to that worm immediately, you are safe here"

"B-but what if he's not in your study?" She sniffled "What if he's outside my room waiting for you to leave so he can get his revenge on me?"

"He wouldn't dare to disobey me"

"Sesshoumaru please, just don't leave me on me own. I'll do anything you want" Kagome looked at him desperately "You don't have to do anything, just stay here"

"Why do you feel safe with me? I can easily do to you what those servants intended to do" He asked curiously

"Because you're above rape Sesshoumaru. Even though you tick me off to no end I know you're loyal and noble. You're not some disgusting lustful youkai who doesn't give a damn of who he sleeps with. I feel safe around you, I think it's because I look at you and Inuyasha as my protectors" She then bowed her head to hide a small blush "You've protected me so far so I know you wouldn't harm me, your pride and honour would never let you do so"

"You're an odd one, miko" Sesshoumaru lifted Kagome's chin so that his eyes were on hers "How is it that you can read me so well?"

"That stoic mask may fool everyone else but it doesn't fool me" She gave a small smile "Your eyes hold all your emotions, you can't hide them from me"

"Hn" He then released her and stood "Get some rest, your body is exhausted. I suggest you sleep before you fall unconscious"

"Will you stay here until I fall asleep?" She asked as she slipped into the covers not even bothering to get changed. He gave a short nod which made Kagome's smile widen "Thank you Sesshoumaru" The miko then closed her sapphire eyes and let sleep take over her exhausted form

When Sesshoumaru was sure she was asleep he sat at her bedside one again and brushed the bangs from her eyes _'What have you done to me miko? Why do you continue to draw me to you?' _Letting out a quiet sigh Sesshoumaru kept watch over the little miko...

About an hour later Sesshoumaru was still watching over the little miko, he couldn't find the will to leave the beauty beside him. He knew that damned servant was most probably waiting for him, well he better still be waiting for him or else. Finally agreeing that he had waited with her long enough the young Prince went to stand when Kagome began to moan and groan "Ah" He saw her arch her back parting her kimono some "M-more..." Raising a brow Sesshoumaru leaned closer to the miko and watched with pure curiosity "Hn...h-harder...ah..." Her arousal hit his nose immediately as she continued to moan and squirm "Sessh...Sesshoumaru..." The young Prince's eyes went wide as he watched the little miko toss and turn as she called out his name _'Is she having an erotic dream of my person?'_ He asked himself. Deciding not to linger any longer just in case she woke Sesshoumaru immediately rose to his feet and headed towards the door...

_Kagome's dream_

_She lay there in her bed unable to sleep. She was too afraid to move just in case those servants returned so every little noise she heard put her on edge. To her displeasure the sound of footsteps were nearing her bedroom door causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand. She threw the covers over her head just as the sound of the door opening then closing hit her ears. She let out a small whimper when she felt a weight on her bedside, she then felt the bed sheet being pulled off her slowly making her whimpers turn into little whines. Immediately the was thrown off, Kagome jumped at the sharpness of the cold air and met the eyes of what she thought was going to be her nightmare. She was wrong. "Sesshoumaru?"_

"_Why do you fear me miko?" He asked with his silky smooth voice_

"_I-I don't...I thought you were those servants" She breathed_

"_They have been dealt with" He leaned over her lithe form "Why are you awake?"_

"_I...don't...know" Her eyes were locked on his golden ones "W-why are you awake?"_

"_I don't sleep much" He then ran his claws down her arm gently "Plus I wanted to see you"_

"_Huh?"_

"_Your scent tells me you want me" He breathed huskily as he licked the shell of her ear "I want you"_

"_You hate humans" Kagome murmured. Her own eyes were clouded with lust as they gazed at his luscious lips_

"_Not this one" His lips then claimed hers as he let out a small growl. His hands were immediately untying her kimono as Kagome's hands mirrored his "I want you now" He growled as he sucked the junction between her neck and shoulder_

"_I want you too Sesshoumaru" Kagome moaned as she arched into his touch "Please take me" Growling in satisfaction Sesshoumaru spread Kagome's now naked legs and thrust into her without a second thought. Kagome moaned out in complete bliss, she wrapped her arms around Sesshoumaru's neck for support and dipped her head back (A/N: She is a virgin but in a dream you don't feel pain)_

"_Kagome..." He groaned out as he increased his pace_

"_Ah..." Kagome could already feel the coil in her stomach twisting. She wrapped her legs around his waist making him go deeper and harder "SESSHOUMARU" She screamed as she hit her peak. He continued to thrust into her as her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she rode out her climax..._

_End of Dream_

Kagome's dream was disturbed by the sound of her bedroom door opening, she peaked through her half closed lids to find Sesshoumaru leaving her chambers. When the door closed shut Kagome sat up in her bed to find that she was wet from her dream. She blushed madly realizing that Sesshoumaru must have smelt her arousal and left before anything could happen "Damn it" She cursed under her breath "If I said something he'll never let me live in down" Letting out a frustrated sigh Kagome slumped back down on the bed and gazed up at her ceiling _'Yet I wonder, why did I have such a dream about him?'_

Sesshoumaru was now in his bed chambers after disposing of the servant who dared to touch the miko he protected. Thinking back to the said miko and the erotic dream she just had of him he smirked evilly "This will indeed be fun my little miko" Sesshoumaru then lay down in his bed and let sleep take over him...

**I am so sorry I haven't updated in a while. My laptop had broken so there was no way for me to continue my story**

**I hope you can forgive me :'(**

**I know it's cheeky to ask but reviews please**

**Inuyashasesshy4eva x**


	5. Growing Attraction

Chapter Five – Growing Attraction

_~Dream~_

_Her hand caressed his well built bare chest as her mouth followed behind slowly. He let out a small growl of approval as she reached the rim of his hakama "Do you want me to continue my lord?" Her innocent husky voice breathed against his pale silky skin_

"_You know what I want woman" He growled half heartedly "Don't delay any further"_

"_Excuse me?!" She jumped up and straddled his hips as she leaned down to his golden glorious orbs "Who do you think you're talking to?"_

"_My woman" He smirked as he entwined his claws in her raven locks and met her lips in a loving dominate kiss "Do you want me mate?"_

"_Yes Sesshoumaru" She breathed as she kissed his magenta markings "I want you"_

"_Kagome" He almost moaned at her eagerness_

_~End of Dream~_

"Kagome?" Sesshoumaru's eyes snapped open to meet the amused gaze of his dear mother "Having naughty dreams of our little miko are we Sesshoumaru?"

"What are you doing here?" He almost growled as he sat up

"Well I thought I'd get you up considering sunrise was a mere half hour ago" She then smirked "But I didn't know I was interrupting"

"Mother don't be a fool, it was a dream and nothing more"

"Yes but dreams are usually of what you desire pup" She grinned teasingly "I happen to know Kagome had similar dreams as I heard her moaning your name sometime last night"

"It doesn't mean anything" He sighed "Now leave so I may bathe and dress"

"Fine, I'll go wake our future Princess" And with that Jen ran out before Sesshoumaru could argue back.

Kagome lay in bed looking up at the ceiling with a slight blush on her face as she remembered her previous dream _'What am I doing having such pleasant dreams of him? Come on Kagome wake up, you don't want any more heartbreak. You're still trying to fix the one Inuyasha unknowingly broke' _She let out a small breath and sat up just as there was a knock on her door "Come in" She quickly fixed her hair just as Jen entered with an evil grin plastered across her pale features "Queen Jen, what can I do for you?"

"I just came to see how you are" She smiled as she sat next to the little miko "I heard what happened to you last night. You will be happy to know that the surviving servant is now sealed in the dungeons and waiting a death penalty"

"Oh..." Kagome then gave a small shudder. She had been thinking so much about the previous night's dream she forgot about what had happened between her and the servant brothers "Well that's good I guess"

"Did you sleep well?" Kagome blushed a deep crimson and nodded knowing that Jen most probably heard her moans "Well that's good to know. So did Sesshoumaru" She gapped as she looked up at the Queen "It would seem Sesshoumaru has taken more than a liking to you"

"With all due respect my Lady I doubt Sesshoumaru would be attracted to a clumsy human like myself"

"I agree you are clumsy but you are unlike any normal human. And believe me Kagome, I know my son better than anyone. Even his father" Jen then smirked "What do you think of my son Kagome?"

"Well don't get me wrong milady I can see he's handsome but I also see that he's arrogant, ignorant and bossy"

"Does he have any good traits?"

"Well...umm...I suppose he's loyal, protective, strong, powerful, hypnotic...umm..." Kagome blushed even redder "Sorry what were you saying?"

"Doesn't matter" She smiled as she walked over to Kagome's current wardrobe and pulled out another kimono "Get changed and I'll meet you down at breakfast"

"Okay..." Jen then left. Kagome fell back against her pillow and let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding "Yep they're related. They both know how to get to me" Letting out a big sigh Kagome sat up and quickly changed into the kimono Jen had pulled out for her "Cute" She admired from the mirror. It was a bright pink with baby blue patterns. She then sat at the dresser and brushed her hair, she pulled it up into a high ponytail and removed last night's sleep from her eyes. Satisfied she looked presentable Kagome stood and headed to breakfast...

Sesshoumaru was currently in the dining room arguing with his half brother "Sesshoumaru how long until we leave? I'm sick and tired of staying here, it's so boring. Naraku should be our first priority"

"I understand that Inuyasha but I cannot leave yet. Just one more day and we shall be off, the weather will be calmer tomorrow too" Sesshoumaru stated "Do you honestly want the women travelling in that?" He pointed to one of the many windows that led to the blizzard outside

"Feh I guess not" They were about to continue when Jen walked in. Looking at the hanyou's face made her heart throb with pain and anger

"Kagome shall be down shortly" She spoke with no emotion as she took her seat at the dining table

"We shall discuss this later" Sesshoumaru whispered. Inuyasha gave a short nod knowing too well of the elder youkai's wrath. He had barged into her the other day angering the Queen, with the flick of her wrist he flew head first into a wall. This was one female he didn't want to mess with

"Catch ya later" The hanyou waved off "If ya want me I'll most probably be with Miroku's room" And with that Inuyasha was gone. The young Prince sat at the top of the table where his mother was currently sitting to his left

"Where's Rin?" Jen asked as she sipped some tea

"She's having her studies"

"Hmm" She then smile slyly "As you know I woke Kagome this morning. She seems to like you a lot Sesshoumaru"

"Mother not this again" He sighed "I shall find a mate when I'm good and ready"

"That'll be a never" She muttered under her breath "I'm just saying that Kagome is a very beautiful, intelligent young woman. She is also very powerful which will reflect on your pups. I know you like her, otherwise you wouldn't have had such an exciting dream about her last night. And I know that you watched her having one of you"

"It wasn't like that" He growled "She wanted me to stay with her until she fell asleep after last night's ordeal"

"And you being the honourable youkai I raised did so, I understand that. But Sesshoumaru this is the first human besides Rin who you have taken a caring to, you put her in the West wing for crying out loud" Before Sesshoumaru could press more on his mother's foolishness Kagome entered with a cheery smile on her red rose lips

"Good morning" She took her place to Sesshoumaru's left and tucked herself in "Sorry I took so long"

"Not at all" Jen smiled "Sesshoumaru was talking to the hanyou anyway" She then clicked her fingers when several servants came forward and placed breakfast down on the table

"Wow I understand dinner bring posh but breakfast too?" Kagome smirked "Sesshoumaru you really are a pampered Prince" She teased

"Or is it that you have never been brought up with taste?" He mused as he met her know heated gaze

"Oh I was, I was just not spoilt" She poked her tongue out and took a sip of her tea

"How old are you two again?" Jen laughed "Then again you just act like an old married couple" Saying this Kagome gagged on her tea causing her to have a coughing spasm as a light blush tinted her cheeks. Sesshoumaru just gave his mother a small scowl as he knew what she was up to "Are you alright Kagome?" She asked ignoring her son's useless attempts to threaten her

"...yes..." She coughed. She lightly thumped her chest and regained composure "You really shouldn't say things like that at the breakfast table Queen Jen" She smirked "It could make someone lose their appetite"

"You'd be lucky to be my mate miko" Sesshoumaru stated with a tinge of humour in his voice "It would be an honour"

"Heh as if, you're just full of yourself as usual" She scoffed "Anyone who would willingly mate you must be deranged"

"And anyone who would dare to mate you would obvious be a foolish childish human peasant"

"And what's that supposed to mean?" She snapped "Are you implying that I'm only good enough for a poor homeless guy? Well excuse me you'd be so privileged to have me, but I guess you wouldn't be able to keep up with me"

"I'm sure my stamina would surpass yours" He smirked knowing that she'd think of something perverted

"Oh yeah?" She frowned with the blush on her cheeks "I-I doubt it, I'm sure I could keep going long before you could"

"Sorry to interrupt guys but what are you talking about?" Jen asked "Cause it sounds kind of wrong" Kagome's blush deepened and Sesshoumaru frowned

"Mother stop being ridiculous" Sesshoumaru sighed. Now Kagome just put her head down and started to eat her breakfast, Jen and Sesshoumaru soon followed suit as the rest of the morning was carried out in silence...

After a long painful breakfast Kagome decided to seek out Sango and go for a nice hot bath. She made her way to her friend's chambers only to find a shaking Miroku on his backside and Inuyasha holding an angry Sango back "Let me go Inuyasha, he's gonna get it this time"

"I'll let you go when you calm down" He snapped

"Hey guys?" Kagome neared cautiously "What's up?"

"Long story short, Sango caught Miroku making out with one of the maids. She wants him dead so I thought it'd be a smart move to hold her back" Inuyasha shrugged

"Awe Miroku" Kagome sighed "How could you?" Not waiting for his reply Kagome took Sango's arm and dragged her off to the hot springs. Upon entering Sango let out a distressed cry as she fell to her knees, Kagome was at her side immediately as she embraced her sister/best friend "It's ok Sango. Who needs that jerk anyway?"

"I-I know" She sniffled "It's just the fact that he proposed to me, kissed me and is now getting on every female in the palace" Kagome pulled Sango to her feet as they got undressed and slid into the hot spring

"Do you still love him?" Kagome asked. Sango pondered for a little while before answering

"I don't know...I don't feel that spark any more when I'm around him and if I see him I don't feel any excitement like I used to"

"I'm not sure for certain but it seems you don't want him any more"

"I agree" She sighed

"Is there someone else?" She saw Sango blush making her grin "Ooo tell me"

"You're gonna flip" She muttered "I've been growing very close to Inuyasha lately"

"Get out" Kagome laughed "Since when?"

"Since you two broke apart and when Miroku's womanising increased"

"Get in there girl" Kagome winked "And I know what you're gonna say, 'what if he hurts me like he did to you'. He won't. Kikyo's dead now so you have no competition"

"I suppose" She shrugged "What about you? Is there someone you have taken a liking to?" This time is was Kagome who blushed

"Well I don't love him or anything but...as much as I hate to admit this, Sesshoumaru and I have been getting very flirty and close"

"Oh my gosh" Sango gapped "Well he is cute Kagome. And loyal and strong"

"I know" She smiled softly "The Queen is trying to hook us up"

"This will be fun"

"But I don't know if he likes me" Kagome sighed "Like every time his mother brings up a mating he tells her to stop being so foolish and then we'll tease each other until it breaks out into an argument" Kagome then let out a breath and dunked her head under the water...

Meanwhile Sesshoumaru was in his study with his younger brother discussing matters "Any news as to where Naraku is?" Inuyasha asked

"Not an exact location but he is somewhere East" The Prince replied "Care to explain what all that screaming and shouting was about earlier?"

"Oh well my friends Sango and Miroku are like kinda courting but he's a right womaniser. She caught him making out with one of the maids so she tried to kill him, I pulled her back before she did something she regretted when Kagome just comes out of nowhere and drags Sango off with no problem"

"I'm sure the demon slayer wouldn't kill her lover"

"But that's the thing I don't think she loves him any more and if that's the case..." He trailed off

"Continue Inuyasha"

"I don't know why I'm telling you this but I thought I might be able to have a chance with her" Inuyasha blushed

"And what of the little miko?" He raised a silken brow

"She doesn't love me any more and I'm not an idiot Sesshoumaru, I see how you two flirt with each other"

"I don't know what you're talking about"

"Yeah whatever, I see the look in your eyes when you're looking at her. Do you really have a problem just because she's human?"

"I have no problems with the miko"

"Then why not ask her out?"

"Inuyasha you seem to be sounding more like my mother with each passing minute" He sighed "I do not doubt that she'd make a fine mate but it would be unfair to her to live in a palace full of youkai who'd want to assassinate her"

"What are ya talking about? Everyone here loves her, they hate me not her! And the males like her even more than they should"

"What do you mean?"

"Well those two brothers tried to have their way with her and I've had to fight off one who wouldn't leave her alone. She's be safer with you. Just give her what I couldn't okay?"

"We have more important matters to deal with at the moment"

"Awe come on Sesshoumaru, Naraku might kill one of us if we don't act now"

"We? Alright then Inuyasha I'll make you a little wager" Sesshoumaru smirked "If you can woo the demon slayer into courting you I'll ask the miko to court me"

"What?! Awe no fair" Inuyasha pouted

"Most things these days aren't very fair, little brother, I suggest you learn that"

"Feh, fine I'll ask her out at dinner" Inuyasha then stood and left the study without another word. Just as Sesshoumaru was about to carry on with her work Inuyasha popped her head around the door "Umm Sesshoumaru how do you ask a girl out?" Sesshoumaru let out a small growl and sat back against his chair, there was no way he'd be able to work today...

**Sorry it took so long **

**Reviews please :)**

**Inuyashasesshy4eva **

**xXx**


	6. Courage and Hate

Chapter Six – Courage and Hate

Inuyasha sat in his room fidgeting with his kimono sleeve, what had he dragged himself into this time? Could he really have the guts to ask Sango out? No, of course not. Fighting Naraku would be an easier task! He pondered for a little while. He did indeed have feelings for the demon slayer but he didn't have the courage to ask her out, he knew he had to for Kagome's sake. He had admittedly broken her heart on more than many occasion and it was now time for his brother to pick up the pieces and met the young miko's heart. Sesshoumaru may be ignorant, cruel and ruthless but Inuyasha knew a different side to his brother that he had seen from watching him with Rin. He had a kind, gentile, caring and loyal side to him which was what Kagome exactly needed. Obviously Sesshoumaru puts on the tough guy act for the sake of the safety of his Kingdom and family. The hanyou was no fool, he could read his brother rather easily

He sat there a little longer thinking of the right things to say when there was a knock on his door "Uh...come in..." The door immediately pushed open to reveal Queen Jen "Huh?"

"I couldn't help but overhear your wager with Sesshoumaru" She smirked "I want nothing more than to see my son and Kagome mated. But in order for that to happen you have to ask the youkai slaying human out, am I correct?"

"Uh...yeah. Wait! No offence but could you mind your own business?"

"I would usually but when it involves my son actually settling down then I have no choice but to intervene" She stated "Your aura is telling me you're worried about going about all this"

"Well it's not exactly easy asking someone you like out, is it?"

"Heh it can be simple" She mused "It is obvious, from what I've overheard is that she feels the same"

"Gee you 'overhear' things a lot, don't ya" Inuyasha snorted

"Ears of a dog demon honey" She replied smugly "Have you thought of what you're going to say to her?"

"Well I was but then you came in" He huffed

"You're not like your father at all" She mused "He was always calm and patient" She then smiled when she looked at his features "But you are fortunate to have inherited his eyes and looks" _'Even if he did leave me for a human wench' _"I'm sure you'll do fine. Just here's some advice. Women like men to be very romantic so if I were you I'd get her some flowers or something. And speak with some affection in your voice"

"Feh" He huffed as he folded his arms over his chest

"Oh and don't tell Sesshoumaru about this little chat. If I found out you've told him I'll make sure you lose certain features that attracts women" She then headed to the door "Don't be late Inuyasha, dinner is in a mere half hour" And with that Jen left to find Kagome.

She found the miko in her chambers, laying on her bed looking absolutely exhausted "Kagome? What is the matter?" Jen sat at Kagome's bedside as the miko sat up with a groan

"It's my friends. My friend Miroku is a womaniser but he has already promised Sango that he'd marry her yet she caught him today making out with one of the maids. Sango tried to kill him but Inuyasha held her back so then I came and took her to the hot springs where we gossiped. Now I've found out that she doesn't love Miroku any more and likes Inuyasha"

"What's wrong with that?"

"How are we going to break the news to him without it resulting in our group disbanding and Inuyasha and Miroku ripping each other's heads off?"

"I'm sure it'll all work out for the best" Jen smiled genuinely "Perhaps a break from each other would do you all some good. I understand it's hard to do so but after a while you just have to move on"

"But what of Naraku? We won't be able to fight together if we're fighting each other"

"It won't come to that I assure you" Jen then moved to Kagome's wardrobe and once again pulled out an outfit, but this time she pulled out an elegant, black, sexy evening gown

"That's beautiful" Kagome gasped

"We only have a little while until dinner so get dressed and I'll do your hair"

"Uh...okay" Kagome then went to get changed as Jen left the room to get dressed herself. The miko pulled on the long black silky dress and looked in the mirror. It was absolutely beautiful, it hugged her every curve and made her look like a goddess. She sat at her dresser and began to brush her hair just as Jen re-entered "Wow your majesty, how did you get to your room, dress so fast and come back here so quickly?"

"I can be fast when I want to be" She mused "Now let's work some magic" Jen then came up behind Kagome and began to brush her long black hair. She pulled it up into a high ponytail and added a ribbon to it. She then opened the jewellery box on the dresser and pulled out a pair of hoop silver earrings, a silver bracelet and a matching necklace. Kagome put them on herself and then met Jen's eyes

"No make-up?"

"Unless you want Sesshoumaru making rude comments to you all night I suggest you don't. He hates women wearing make-up"

"But you wear it"

"True" She then pondered "Oh what the heck, a little lip paint wouldn't hurt" She then pulled from her own kimono a little shell that contained red lip paint. She applied a small amount on Kagome's lips and put it away "Now I believe we are ready for dinner"

"Dinner is way too formal" Kagome sighed as she stood "Where I'm from we just sit there in our pyjamas and eat casually, sometimes not even at the table"

"Sounds cosy" Jen mused "Come along then love, we are already slightly late for dinner. I don't want Sesshoumaru coming up here and scolding _me, _his own mother" Kagome let out a small laugh as they headed to the dining room where everyone was most probably at...

As expected everyone was at dinner waiting for the Queen and Kagome to arrive. A weary Miroku sat opposite a deadly Sango who was sitting beside a very nervous hanyou, whereas the two children sat opposite each other playfully pulling faces. Sesshoumaru sat at the top of the table waiting patiently for his embarrassing mother and his clumsy miko. Wait a second, _his _clumsy miko?

Just then Queen Jen entered looking as high and graceful as ever, Sesshoumaru bit back the urge to roll his eyes, then Kagome entered. His eyes almost widened when he saw her in that black number. Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. She looked like a goddess, she walked up beside Jen and took her place between Sesshoumaru and the Queen. Jen watched Sesshoumaru closely as he gazed at the black haired beauty "Sorry we were late" She smiled innocently "We couldn't decide what to wear"

"I must say you both look beautiful" Miroku grinned

"Acting like a dirty old man" Sango muttered "As usual"

"Monk" Sesshoumaru warned "Do you have no respect for my family?"

"What? Oh no, of course I do Prince Sesshoumaru" He bowed his head repeatedly "A thousand apologies"

"Pathetic" Sango coughed making Inuyasha smirk. Kagome stifled a giggle as she watched her best friend. Many servants then entered and placed dinner on the table

"Looks delicious" Kagome smiled as they began to dig in...

After dinner everyone socialized and made jokes. Inuyasha, Kagome noticed had been strangely quiet this whole time. Sango also noticed and placed her hand on his shoulder "Inuyasha are you alright? You've been awfully quiet this evening?"

"I-I'm fine" He blushed. Sesshoumaru then moved his gaze from Kagome and watched his brother "W-well actually..." Inuyasha then turned in his seat and looked into her eyes nervously "Sango I-I think you're a r-really nice person. You're smart, funny and beautiful and I was j-just wondering..."

"Yes?" Sango asked. Inuyasha then took her hands in his causing her to blush

"W-would you consider...being my girl?" Everyone besides Sesshoumaru gasped. Miroku's face scrunched as he glared at his _former _best friend

"Inuyasha..." Sango breathed "You don't know how long I've waited for you to ask me" A tear slid down her cheek as she jumped up and wrapped her arms around a sitting Inuyasha. He pulled her into his lap and held her closely

"Awe that's so romantic" Kagome beamed "Just like a fairy tale"

"Do you wish that'd happen to you Kagome?" Jen asked

"Yeah" She blushed "But Sango's very beautiful. I doubt I'd be able to find someone with my looks"

"Don't be so modest Kagome" Jen smiled "You're very beautiful, and I'm sure there are plenty of handsome, noble males – preferably youkai, who are mad about you"

"Thank you my lady" Kagome smiled softly. She turned her head to find Sesshoumaru's eyes on hers, she couldn't help but find herself lost in them when there was a massive bang on the table. Everyone turned to find Miroku standing and looking extremely angry at Inuyasha

"How could you Inuyasha? My own friend. You have betrayed me and taken the only woman I have ever loved" He snapped

"Don't give me that crap Miroku. You flirt with every pretty female and don't give a damn about Sango's feelings" Inuyasha then stood causing Sango to stand also "If you loved her like you say then you wouldn't have gone around with every woman here!"

"And you're so perfect" Miroku snapped "When you loved Kagome you still ran off to be with Kikyo. Sango if you go with him then you truly are a fool, if Kikyo raises from the dead you know as well as I that he'll run off to her"

"I would not" Inuyasha growled back "I regret what I did to Kagome back then by running off with Kikyo. I would never make the same mistake twice!!!"

"I'll believe that when I see it" He then pointed his staff at the hanyou "Inuyasha I can not sit idly by and let you take the woman I love away from me, I challenge you to the dual to the death"

"WHAT?!" Kagome and Sango gapped. Kagome stood and grabbed Miroku's arm "Miroku don't be so foolish. Please just accept it. If you love her you'll be happy for her, you'll let her go"

"How can you be alright with all this? You love Inuyasha too do you not?"

"Yes I do love Inuyasha. I love him as a brother" She replied "And I also think of you as a brother, please don't fight. There's nothing more worse than having friends fighting each other"

"I doubt you'd react the same if you found out the person you loved was taken from you by your best friend" He then moved his gaze back to Inuyasha "You. Me. In the dojo. Now!"

"Feh, fine it's your life" He then walked off to the dojo with Miroku following closely behind

"Awe man we have to stop them" Kagome ran around the table and was about to chase after them when Sesshoumaru caught her wrist

"If you go you'll only get yourself killed" He stated "You'll jump in the way of their attacks, I no you will"

"So? I can't let my friends kill each other Sesshoumaru"

"And I can't let you get hurt" His words just spilled out, he didn't mean to say them

"Sesshoumaru..."

**Cliff Hanger lol**

**Well hope you enjoyed it**

**Reviews Please :)**

**BTW this will be my last chapter for two weeks as I'm going on holiday to the Dominican Republic**

**Miss you guys**

**Inuyashasesshy4eva**


	7. Battle Between Friends

Chapter Seven – Battle Between Friends

Kagome stared at Sesshoumaru eye wide, he couldn't let her get hurt? Why? Why would he care about her? A worthless human? She was about to take a step forward to him when she heard Sango's distressed scream "Miroku! Inuyasha! Stop this!" She shot out of the dining room and straight to the dojo where her lover and friend were already engaging in battle

"No!" Kagome's wrist slipped from Sesshoumaru's grasp as she followed Sango to the dojo and watched in utter horror as the people who she considered brothers exchanged blows. Sesshoumaru and everyone else followed behind and watched on already knowing the victor. Sango tried to run at them to stop them but Jen pulled her back

"No, please your highness. I can't let this happen over me" She sobbed

"This is not your fault" Jen stated as she pulled her into his arms and held her close "It is theirs"

"You asshole" Miroku cursed as he struck Inuyasha sharply in the head with his staff. Inuyasha growled and sliced him with his claws, unfortunately he couldn't use his sword. Miroku just had to be a human didn't he.

"If you loved Sango so much why did you go around with every woman here?" Inuyasha snapped

"If you loved Kagome so much why did you run back to Kikyo"

"I loved them both, it's different. Face it Miroku, you don't know the meaning of commitment"

"Oh and you do?" Inuyasha knocked the staff from Miroku's grasp and punched him in the face

"Yeah I do" He replied as Miroku elbowed him in the gut "I was and am committed to protecting the girls and Shippo, when Kikyo was alive I was committed to being a human, and I was committed to always watch out for you but now you've gone too far. It's your own fault, you should have asked her sooner instead of sleeping around"

"That's it, I've had it with you" Miroku then jumped back and pulled his enchanted beads from his hand

"No Miroku don't do it" Kagome shouted

"I'm sorry Kagome but it's too late" Miroku then outstretched his hand "WIND TUNNEL" Inuyasha couldn't believe he was using the wind tunnel on him, sure Miroku said fight to the death but he didn't believe he'd actually go through with it, he knew if he himself was the victor he could never bring himself to kill Miroku. He felt himself slowly being dragged him, he immediately removed Tetsusaiga and struck it to the ground as he held onto it for dear life

"INUYASHA" Sango cried as she struggled in Jen's grasp. Sesshoumaru looked down at Kagome to see that look in her eyes

"Don't even think of it" He warned. She turned to him and smiled softly

"I love them Sesshoumaru, I can't allow them to kill each other" Before he could grasp her Kagome ran straight out in front of the wind tunnel

"Kagome get out of the way" Both Inuyasha and Miroku shouted

"NO!" She snapped "I won't let you two do this" Her feet then began to lift from the ground and straight towards Miroku's wind tunnel, she let out a frightened scream and closed her eyes. Sesshoumaru growled and ran to Miroku. He grasped the monk's wrist and closed his hand just as Kagome flew straight into him knocking them both to the floor. The young Prince sat up on his elbows with Kagome laying on top of him with her eyes still closed "I'm dead I'm dead I'm dead..." Sesshoumaru smirked and sat upright so sat Kagome was sitting in his lap

"Kagome" _'Sesshoumaru? He never says my name, that just proves I'm dead' _Kagome thought as she squeezed her eyes tighter shut "Open your eyes, you're alive"

"No, no, no I'm not" She shook her head "The Sesshoumaru I know doesn't say my name"

"You're not dead, do you honestly believe you'd still have your body if you were dead? And if you were dead why would you be sitting in my lap?" On that Kagome's eyes did snap open and indeed find herself in Sesshoumaru's lap. A blush tinted her cheeks as she let out a nervous laugh

"...Awkward..." She didn't meet his gaze. Sesshoumaru then wrapped his arm around her waist as he stood with her. He then released her when he found everyone staring at them, he hid his own blush but Jen and Inuyasha saw it clearly.

"Kagome" Sango pulled out of Jen's arms and ran straight to her friend. She pulled her friend into a tight, protective hug and sobbed "Oh my god, are you okay?"

"I'm fine" Kagome smiled. They then pulled apart and Kagome finally met Sesshoumaru's eyes "Thank you for saving me Sesshoumaru" He gave a short nod and Kagome moved to Inuyasha and Miroku "Please don't fight. If you don't want to be friends any more then fair enough, but we still need to work together to bring Naraku down"

"I know Kagome" Miroku smiled sadly as he moved to her and hugged her "I'm so sorry, because of my arrogant self I almost killed you" Kagome hugged him back and kissed his cheek

"It's alright Miroku" She smiled as she pulled away "I understand how you feel but you have to let it go, Sango's happy and that's all that matters. Think about Miroku, when Inuyasha ran off with Kikyo you didn't see me searching for her trying to rip her throat out" He nodded with one of his devilish smiles and she moved to Inuyasha "That goes for you too Inuyasha, you guys can't be fighting with each other, alright?"

"Yeah" He huffed as he wrapped a brotherly arm around her

"And if you two keep fighting I'll bind you both together and S I T you both into the ground, am I understood?" Inuyasha gave a shaky nod and she kissed his cheek "Good" Kagome then walked over to Rin and Shippo and lifted them both "Come on you guys, it's time for bed"

"You too Kirara" Sango smiled as she pulled her two-tailed neko into her arms and followed Kagome back into the palace. Inuyasha then strode past Miroku ignoring him and to Sesshoumaru

"Soooooooooooooooo" He began "When ya gonna ask her out?" Sesshoumaru smirked and met his brother's gaze

"As soon as I find the right moment"

"Fine but it has to be done before we leave to find Naraku, and I want to leave in two days"

"It'll be done before then" He stated "I intend to ask her as soon as we're alone"

"Good" Inuyasha smirked "Well see ya in the morning, I've got to take care of some business" Just as he was about to leave Miroku called to him

"Inuyasha" The hanyou met the monk's dark blue gaze "Just don't hurt her alright, if you do you'll pay. She's been through so much pain she doesn't need any more"

"Feh I know that, I'll always be there for her" Inuyasha sneered "And Miroku, you and I both know some of that pain has come from you" And with that Inuyasha left to find his new woman...

Kagome and Sango had finished putting the children and Kirara to bed and were now currently in Sango's room gossiping "You since your better, do you think Prince Sesshoumaru will have you moved to one of these rooms instead of the West Wing?" Sango asked as she changed into a short pink silk nightdress that the palace had supplied her

"Well that's why I'm waiting here for Inuyasha to come up so I can go find Sesshoumaru and ask him" Kagome shrugged "I don't want to move though"

"How come? Is it because Sesshoumaru sleeps opposite?" She smirked

"Possibly" She blushed "I can't believe I was sitting in his lap earlier"

"Kagome you were lying on top of him before that" Sango laughed "Naughty girl"

"Bully" Kagome pouted "Do you think Inuyasha and Miroku will get along now?"

"I think they will put up with each other but I doubt they will be like they used to, they will never be best friends again" Sango sighed

"It is really Miroku's fault, he could have just giving you two his blessings but no he had to challenge Inuyasha"

"And almost get you killed" The demon slayer added

"Hey I'm trying to forget about that" Suddenly there was a small knock and Inuyasha entered

"Umm...hi...can I come in?" He asked with a small blush

"Yeah, sure" Sango smiled with her own little blush. Inuyasha then closed the door and sat on the bed next to Sango

"S-sorry for earlier, I must have scared ya with Miroku and all that" He stuttered

"It's alright, it wasn't your fault" Sango replied as she shyly kissed his cheek. They then locked gazes and were lost in each other, Kagome took this as an opportunity to leave

"Well I think I'm gonna go now, umm Inuyasha do you know where your brother is?" Kagome asked

"...in his room..." That was all he could muster. He was in the process of leaning into Sango's lips

"See ya" Kagome then dashed from the bedroom before she could see anything else. Sighing she made her way down the West Wing and to Sesshoumaru's room. She hoped he wasn't asleep, he got cranky enough as it was could you imagine if she woke him? Arriving outside his bedroom door Kagome took a deep breath and knocked. The door opened to reveal Sesshoumaru wearing only his hakama, Kagome gapped and tried her best to keep her eyes on his "Uh..."

"Is there a problem miko?" He asked as he folded his arms causing his muscles to flex

"Yeah...uh...where do I sleep?" At this Sesshoumaru rose a silken brow

"In your room, you do remember where that is?"

"Of course, what I mean is that you said I'd stay here until I got better. Well I am so don't you have to move me now?" Sesshoumaru leaned against the door frame and shook his head

"No, you can stay there where you'll be safe" Kagome met his golden gaze, there was something in them. Was it adoration?

"Are you feeling alright? You're acting kinda weird" She asked as she checked for a fever. The young Prince smirked and took her hand from his forehead

"I'm fine" He was still holding her hand. He heard a slight snicker and picked up Inuyasha's aura, the hanyou was watching them from somewhere "Actually could I speak with you tomorrow? In private?"

"Sure, of course. What's wrong? Do you need to discuss a fighting strategy for Naraku?"

"Not really. After breakfast follow me to the gardens, I have something I wish to ask you?"

"Awe tell me now" Kagome pouted "I have no patience"

"Then that will be something you have to learn" He mused as he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it "I shall see you in the morning little miko" And with that he released her and retreated to his room. Kagome stood there holding her hand dumbfounded _'Did he just kiss me? That's very...well it's not very Sesshoumaru at all. Is he possessed? I'll have to keep an eye out' _With a little blush gracing her cheeks Kagome went back to her own chambers and retired for the night.

Inuyasha came out of his hiding place and immediately raced back to Sango's room. On his way he saw Miroku going back to his own room with two female servants either side of him "Didn't take you long to get over her then" He snickered. The monk met his gaze and frowned

"I'm simply moving on, I'm not going to just sit there and sulk"

"Feh" Inuyasha then went to Sango's door and knocked whilst Miroku retreated to his own. Sango answered full of enthusiasm and pulled him in

"What happened?" She beamed as she pulled him over to her bed and sat on it

"Sesshoumaru asked her to go to the garden with him tomorrow where he wants to ask her something. He then kissed her hand and sent her back to her chambers"

"Really?" She grinned "Do you think he'll ask her out?"

"Yeah" He nodded "Don't be mad but Sesshoumaru and I made a little wager"

"A wager?" She frowned slightly

"Well I told Sesshoumaru I liked you and said that we'd have to act now before Naraku tries anything. He agreed and said that if I could have you as mine then he would ask Kagome out" Inuyasha spoke as fast as he could

"Wait a second" Sango frowned deeper "Sesshoumaru is only asking her out because we're together?"

"No, I guess I made it sound like that" He smiled awkwardly as he scratched the back of his head "He really likes her Sango, he just made the wager because I think he thought I wouldn't have the guts to ask you out. I suppose he was helping in some way. He's afraid of Kagome's answer I think"

"But everyone feels like that, A Prince or not he's still gonna be afraid of rejection" Sango explained

"Yeah but it's Sesshoumaru, he'll most likely flip if she rejects him. He used to getting everything he wants, why do you think he reacted the way he did when I had Tetsusaiga?"

"Inuyasha it's just a façade half of the time" He then wrapped his arm around her and leaned his head against hers

"You realize I'd never hurt you" Sango looked up at him and nodded slightly confused why he brought it up "I mean if Kikyo came back I wouldn't run off to her"

"I know" She then sighed "I just hope Naraku doesn't send Kohaku to break us up somehow"

"Hey" Inuyasha smiled as he kissed her on the lips and pulled her into his arms "He doesn't know about us" He then nuzzled her cheek "Now get some sleep, it's late" She slid off his lap and he stood

"Where are you going?"

"Oh...uh, back to my room. I thought you'd want privacy"

"You can stay if you want" She smiled softly. He gave a toothy grin and lay down on the bed with her. He pulled his outer haori off and wrapped it around her, she then cuddled up in his arms and let sleep take over them...

**Hey guys I'm back**

**I've missed you all so much**

**Well like I promised I've updated as soon as I could**

**Hope you enjoyed it**

**Reviews :)**

**Inuyashasesshy4eva**

**xXx**


	8. Togetherness

Chapter Eight – Togetherness

8am. Breakfast time. Kagome let out a tired groan as she pulled her watch from her pack "Why do they have to have breakfast so early" She threw her watch back in her pack and rolled out of bed "I swear they're trying to kill me" She went into the wardrobe and pulled out a silver kimono with a lilac obi with matching shoes. She then pulled her hair up into a high ponytail and went downstairs for breakfast.

When she entered she found as usual Sesshoumaru at the top of the table, Jen at his side, Rin and Shippo beside her. An empty seat by Sesshoumaru where she guessed she was sitting, then there were Sango and Inuyasha sitting together with Miroku sitting opposite as the two ex-friends shot glares at each other.

Sango didn't like the tension one bit. When she saw Kagome enter she was so relieved "Kagome, good morning"

"Oh good morning Sango" Kagome smiled back as she took her seat beside Sesshoumaru "Whose room did you sleep in last night?" She couldn't help but giggle

"My own" She smirked "But I had company" And sly smirk graced Inuyasha's lips as he wrapped his arm around Sango's shoulder whilst keeping his gaze on a now growling Miroku "I haven't felt this happy since my father was alive"

"I'm happy for you" She winked "I'm so jealous, I wish I could have what you have"

"Maybe that wish will be granted soon, OW" Sango smiled at him innocently after kicking him

"Shut up" She whispered through gritted teeth. Inuyasha grinned as he leaned in and captured her lips

"Eww Inuyasha get a room" Shippo grimaced making everyone but Sesshoumaru and Miroku laugh. Kagome then turned to Sesshoumaru just as breakfast was served

"So Sesshoumaru do you still need to speak with me this morning?" He gave a short nod as he sipped his tea

"And what will you two be discussing?" Jen inquired

"It's private" Inuyasha emphasized "Just between them" Jen gave a 'oh I get it' look and continued with her breakfast. Sesshoumaru bit back the urge to roll his eyes, why did his mother and brother have to interfere so much?

After breakfast everyone went about of doing their own thing. Shippo and Rin ran off to play in her room, Miroku went off to see some of the maids, Inuyasha and Sango were supposedly going to the library but Jen found them hiding behind the tree opposite the one she was hiding behind in the garden "What are you doing here?" Jen whispered

"Making sure Sesshoumaru doesn't upset my best friend" Inuyasha replied with a whisper "Plus I want hear him go all romantic and loving on her"

"I'm just here because he dragged me here" Sango shrugged

"And anyway what are _you _doing here?" Inuyasha bit out

"I'm here to make sure my son doesn't do anything foolish, and...I want grandchildren" She then turned her attention back to the clearing in the garden "They're coming, shh"

Sesshoumaru and Kagome entered the garden looking very awkward and possibly nervous...well Sesshoumaru was anyway, Kagome was clueless of what was happening "Umm Sesshoumaru don't you think we would have more privacy from your study, plus you have parchment there where we could write down strategies on what to do about Naraku" Kagome voiced as he stopped in the clearing

"I did not bring you out here to discuss Naraku" He met her gaze and took a step toward her "I want to ask you something very important"

"Oh, what about?" She asked with that cute confused look on her face. He then motioned her to sit on one of the benches and took a seat next to her

"What do you see me as?" Kagome was taken back by the question. Why did Sesshoumaru care about what she thought of him

"I see you as many things Sesshoumaru. I see you as strong, independent, caring, loyal, protective and a great ruler. I also see you as an arrogant ass who always teases and picks on me" She mused and winked jokily. He allowed a small smile to grace his features shocking Kagome even more

"Do...do you find me appealing?"

"If you mean do I like you then yes. I wouldn't be here in your palace if I didn't like you"

"Even though I have tried to kill you on many occasions?" He asked as he moved his gaze from her

"Yes" She smiled "Look Sesshoumaru we only hated each other because I was Inuyasha's companion and you were his brother who wanted to kill him. Now you two are getting along more, I know you don't hate him any more otherwise you wouldn't tolerate him. I know you wouldn't harm me, I trust you"

"Why do you trust me? You are aware I do not like your kind"

"I don't know why I trust you but I do" She blushed "And my guess is that you probably don't like humans because your father left your mother to be with Inuyasha's human mother, am I correct?"

"It's part of the reason yes" He smirked slightly, this girl seemed to know him more than he realized

"Was that what you brought me out here for? To ask me if I liked and trusted you?" He shook his head

"Do you find me attractive, miko?" He asked with a slight blush forming. Kagome's blush increased as he met her eyes

"I...I find you attractive, yes" She then moved her gaze "Awe you're mean Sesshoumaru, making blush and embarrass myself like this"

"I apologize, that was not my intention" He then caught her chin so that her eyes once again met his "I only ask these questions because I've taken quite a liking to you. I want to know if you feel the same for me as I do for you"

"Hang on, you actually like me? Trust me? F-find me attractive?" He nodded "Why?"

"I can't help it miko, I've always felt a small attraction for you. It would seem to have grown since you've been here though"

"But there are so many more attractive youkai out there who would love to be yours, what's so special about me?"

"Those females only want me for my crown and features. But you" He smiled "You don't seem to care about my heritage and you don't throw yourself at me. You don't care who I am, you know I could easily cause you great pain yet you still challenge me. This shows me that you're strong, trustworthy and my equal" Inuyasha who was still hiding behind the tree gapped and almost collapsed at such flattery "The special thing about you is that you could so easily bring me to my knees without even touching me. As much as I hate to admit it you're my weakness" Kagome looked at him with her eyes wide and her heart pounding "And now I want to ask you what I've brought you here for"

"Yes?" Her breath caught when she felt him entwine his hand with hers

"Will you be mine? You don't have to be my mate, I am willing to take things slowly for your sake. I desire you so much. I want to be the only male who can touch you. So will you allow me to court you Kagome?" Tears began to stream down Kagome's eyes as she began to cry "Kagome?"

"Yes" She nodded uncontrollably "I'll be yours" She wrapped her arms around his waist and sobbed into his haori "Sesshoumaru you have no idea how much I wanted this. I never thought you'd actually like me, some clumsy, ugly miko who ran around with your brother. I thought you looked at me as something simply amusing"

"Don't be foolish" He wrapped his arms around her shaking form "I never thought of you as something just for my amusement and definitely not ugly" He raised her sea-green gaze to his golden one "I find you very beautiful and surprising"

"You didn't mention me not being clumsy" She smiled softly, he returned the smile and let out a small chuckle

"You're not perfect miko"

"I prefer it when you say my name" Sesshoumaru then wrapped his arm around her waist and his other hand behind her neck

"Kagome" He then leaned in and kissed her with everything, he threw all his desire and love into it as he closed his eyes.

Kagome was surprised that he was kissing her, to think, the most handsome youkai and her best friend's brother was actually kissing _her, _the clumsy; time-travelling; 15 year old miko Kagome. So much for he'd never follow in his father's footsteps. Unfortunately the kiss broke for the need of oxygen, they were both panting slightly causing Kagome to giggle some "So I guess this means we're officially together now"

"For you humans yes" He then brushed a few stray stands that had fallen from her ponytail from her neck "For youkai though I must leave a mark upon your neck, it would only be a temporary one not a mating mark. I believe you humans call them 'hickys' or 'love bites'"

"They don't last more than a week though, it'll heal up"

"Mine would stay on your neck unless we ended our relationship. Or if we ever decided to become mates then I would turn it into a mating mark" Sesshoumaru explained

"Well okay then, it would keep Kouga off my back as well" Kagome mused

"Do you mean the young leader of the wolf demon tribe? That Kouga?"

"Yeah" She replied with a sigh "He claims he's in love with me and keeps calling me 'his woman', I've tried to explain that I'm not interested but I think it goes in one ear and out the other"

"Hn" Sesshoumaru frowned "He won't any more" Kagome then grinned and placed her hand on his chest

"I like that you're protective" A rose a silken brow and smirked

"You're mine now, no other male will dare touch you" He then captured her lips once again and slithered both hands around her waist. Behind the tree a snowflake landed on Inuyasha's nose causing him to let out a giant sneeze, Sesshoumaru then growled realizing he'd been spied on all along "I shall leave the courting mark on you tonight, we will have more privacy. Isn't that right mother! Inuyasha! Slayer!" Guiltily Inuyasha, Sango and Jen emerged from behind the trees looking very sheepish

"Before we go any further, Inuyasha made me come here" Sango defended

"And I only came here to make sure you didn't mess it up" Jen added

"Feh" Inuyasha shrugged "I was bored" Sesshoumaru was about to teach everyone especially his brother a lesson when he saw his brother hit the floor

"SIT" Kagome then moved her gaze to Sango and Jen. The two females grabbed each other and ran into the palace before either Kagome or Sesshoumaru got their hands on them "I'll get them later" She huffed as she folded her arms. Inuyasha pulled himself out of yet another crater and ran as fast as he could "I'm not that scary"

"With that command of yours he has every right to be scared" Sesshoumaru mused as he stood and held his hand out to Kagome. She took it and he pulled her to her feet "I have to go to my study to do some work. You can either come with me or pursue your friends"

"I'll come with you" She smiled "I want to spend some time with my boyfriend"

"Boyfriend?" He asked, confused by the very word

"Oh in my time we know the person we're courting by boyfriend or girlfriend...I won't use it if you don't want me to"

"It's not that, I just doubt people here will know what it means"

"True" Kagome shrugged "Do you have to tell people like lords or some sort of court that you're courting?" Sesshoumaru kept his hand entwined with Kagome as he lead her to his study

"If it gets serious then yes, but then again my mother has most probably told every living soul already"

"Well at least I know I have her blessings" Kagome laughed "I just can't wait to see the look on Jaken's face when he finds out"

"Why Jaken?"

"Come on Sesshoumaru you must know he's totally and madly in love with you. He worships you. He'd kiss your ass if he could" The young Prince shivered slightly when images came to his head of Jaken acting like a lovesick puppy. But then again Kagome was right, Jaken was strangely loyal, it was rather disturbing

"I assume you'll enjoy causing him pain"

"Yep" Arriving outside his study Sesshoumaru opened the door and led Kagome in. Once inside he closed the door and released Kagome's hand. Kagome took in her surroundings. The walls were a simple cream colour, the floor wooden. There was obviously a desk, shelves with scrolls and books upon, a door that she assumed was a closet, a chocolate coloured couch next to a bookcase and two glass doors that led to a balcony overlooking the Western Lands "Wow it's very nice in here" She mused "Cosy"

"It may be small but it's efficient enough" He then sat at his desk and pulled a scroll out whilst Kagome walked over to the glass doors and looked out

"The view is beautiful"

"Indeed it is" He replied. His golden gaze on her. When she realized he wasn't on about the Western Lands she blushed a deep crimson and smiled some. She met his eyes and moved over to him to see what he was doing

"Is that some land treaty or something?"

"Very observant" He mused. Suddenly there was a knock on his study door "Enter" One of the royal guards entered and bowed lowly

"Prince Sesshoumaru a letter has just arrived here for you, it is signed by the sword smith Totosai"

"Totosai?"

"Yes my lord" The guard then handed the letter to Sesshoumaru and left to return to his duties

"I thought Totosai was petrified of you, why would he be writing to you?" Kagome asked as she sat on the edge of his desk. Sesshoumaru pulled the letter from the envelope and scanned through it

"Heh, he says he has important information for me about Naraku's whereabouts. He requests that I go to him as soon as possible. He says that he's learned about Inuyasha and I joining forces and will only see me with Inuyasha at my side"

"He's too afraid to see you alone" Kagome laughed "Gee Sesshoumaru what did you do to scare him so much? He's an old man, you're supposed to respect them"

"No, he's supposed to respect me" Kagome rolled her eyes and began to play with one of his quills

"Umm just out of curiosity, am I your first girlfriend?" Sesshoumaru stopped what he was doing and looked up at her

"No but you're the first I've kissed. You're the only human one and frankly the only one I've actually liked" He stated as he folded his arms

"Then why did you court her/them?"

"Youkai don't usually caught out of love but lust. During mating season I needed someone to sate me when I was younger and couldn't control my urges, my father suggested to court a female until mating season was over"

"So you're not a virgin" She then bit her bottom lip, man she felt so inexperienced

"Is that a problem?" He narrowed his gaze slightly

"What? No of course not, it's just that...I am" Sesshoumaru smirked and pulled her into his lap

"I am aware of that, your scent is very pure" He then kissed her forehead "Do not worry I won't do anything you do not wish. Mating season is almost over so you're safe"

"What about Sango and Inuyasha? I doubt he can control himself, what if he loses control and takes Sango without her be willing?" She panicked

"Inuyasha is only hanyou, his urges aren't as strong as a youkai's. I'm sure if it did come to that though, your demon slayer could knock him unconscious for a short time"

"True, Sango does have a violent side" Kagome then wrapped her arms around Sesshoumaru's neck and lay her head against his "Why was I the first you've kissed?"

"Because I wasn't emotionally involved with them"

"So you have sex with them but never kissed one?"

"Correct"

"So I was your first kiss" He smiled softly and nodded "Well technically your mine because I only kissed Inuyasha that time because he was going to be turned into a full youkai and we would have lost him so it doesn't really count"

"Hmm good" His grip around her waist tightened as he trailed butterfly kissed down her cheek and to her neck where he intended on marking her later. Kagome closed her eyes and ran her fingers through his hair

"Ya know with me in your lap you'll never get any work done"

"At this particular moment I could care less" He breathed against her neck causing shivers down her spine. Reaching up he pulled the tie from her hair letting it flow freely "Beautiful"

"You're not too bad yourself" She mused as she lifted his head and kissed him on the lips. He deepened the kiss and couldn't help but let his hands roam her perfect body, when she felt his hands slither over her hips or other ticklish parts (that weren't private) she began to giggle against his lips. "Sesshoumaru" She playfully scolded when he began to purposely tickle her. They were then disturbed by someone once again knocking the door

"Enter" Jen entered and smirked when she found Kagome in her son's lap

"And what have you two been up to?" Kagome blushed and awkwardly slid off Sesshoumaru's lap and stuck to just standing beside him

"What do you want mother?" Sesshoumaru sighed

"We have a slight problem. Rin has locked herself in her room with Shippo, she's refusing to unlock the door for any of us. I think she'd open it for one of you two and tell you what's wrong"

"Very well" Sesshoumaru stood "We'll go see them" He then headed to the West Wing with Kagome following closely behind

"What do you think has caused Rin to act like that? She's a good girl, she wouldn't do it through being spoilt or anything" Kagome asked

"I'm not sure, I can't think of anything that would upset her" Kagome then stopped dead

"Do you think she and Shippo are against us being together?" Sesshoumaru moved to her and slithered his arm around her waist

"Rin is crazy about you Kagome, she'd be thrilled if she found out" He then kissed her forehead "One of the servants have most probably upset her about being human" He then released her and walked done the hallway until he arrived at Rin's bedroom door. Jaken was already there and shouting at the girl, demanding her to unlock the door immediately. Sesshoumaru tried to open it to find that it was indeed locked "She wouldn't usually lock the door"

"What are you doing putting a lock on a child's door anyway?" Kagome scolded "They could accidentally lock themselves in"

"All the doors have them"

"I've tried and tried milord, she's refusing to open up. Ungrateful child, and after all you've done for her" Ignoring the imp Sesshoumaru knocked the door

"Rin, open the door"

"No I don't want to see you!" Rin screamed, there was definitely something up. She never screamed and especially not at Sesshoumaru

"Why you insolent brat! How dare you speak to the Prince like that" Jaken squawked

"Be silent" The young Prince ordered the imp

"Let me try" Kagome offered. She then knocked the door "Rin it's Kagome, will you let us in please?"

"Kagome?" The infant sniffled "I only want to see you"

"Ok well let me in and Sesshoumaru will wait out here until we've sorted this out" Kagome moved her gaze to Sesshoumaru "I'll find out why she's angry at you and then tell you when I can, wait out here for me?" He gave a short nod. There was the sound of someone fiddling with the lock and the door slowly opened, Kagome walked in and closed the door behind her. She found Shippo on the bed sniffling and Rin moving back to his side "What's with all the water works in here?" She sat on the bed in between them and they began to sob into her lap

"Kagome, Rin has to go away" Shippo sobbed

"What are you talking about?"

"Prince Sesshoumaru is sending me away" The little girl cried her little heart out "He doesn't want me any more"

"There has to be some misunderstanding honey, Sesshoumaru would never send you away. He loves you"

"He is" She sniffled

"Wait by here I'm going to ask him, then I'm going to bring him in here to sort all of this out" Rin nodded and wiped her eyes with her kimono sleeve

"Please don't let Rin be sent away Kagome" Shippo pleaded

"I wont" She smiled and then stood. She then left the bedroom and closed the door behind her, she met Sesshoumaru's golden gaze and sighed "She's under the impression you're sending her away, are you?"

"Of course not" He frowned "What made her think of something so foolish?"

"I don't know but you're coming back in with me to sort all this out. Both she and Shippo are crying"

"She has a male in her room?" He growled

"He's a child Sesshoumaru, I hardly doubt he'll try anything on her" She rolled her eyes and pulled Sesshoumaru back into the bedroom with her. This time Shippo sat there glaring at Sesshoumaru whilst Rin had her head buried in the pillow so that she couldn't see him. Kagome only just noticed a bag on the dresser full of Rin's things which angered her, whoever told Rin she had to go was going to pay. "Rin" She said softly as they neared the bed "Rin honey let Sesshoumaru talk to you please"

"No" Was her muffled reply

"Rin" Sesshoumaru began "I'm not sending you anywhere, I never was" The infant's head popped up from the pillow and Sesshoumaru had to bite back a growl when he saw tears streaming down her cheeks, he hated to see her cry

"Y-you're not?" Both she and Shippo gapped

"What gave you the impression I was?"

"B-because I've hardly seen you these past few days and..." She couldn't continue, she began to cry again. Sesshoumaru sat on the bed and pulled the girl he considered his adopted pup into his arms – something he had never done before – and began to awkwardly rub her back. Kagome so wanted a camera because the look on his face was priceless. She crawled to where Rin was before Sesshoumaru picked her up and Shippo dived into her arms

"Rin I've been busy with Inuyasha lately, we were having the same problems so we were trying to discuss them privately. It was nothing against you"

"B-but" Her lip quivered when her watery gaze met his "Master Jaken said you were sending me away to a human village because you were bored of me, he told me to pack my stuff and he'd come fetch me tonight. He said that you don't even want to come say goodbye because I disgust you too much" This time Sesshoumaru let his growl out and Kagome had to place her hand on his arm to calm him down

"The imp lied to you. I'm not sending you anywhere, especially not some human village. I'm not bored of you nor do I find you disgusting. You are very precious to me Rin, you're not going anywhere"

"Really?" She buried her head in his haori and cried some more "Thank you so much Prince Sesshoumaru, I promise to be a good girl and not to disappoint you"

"You never did" He replied. He then ran his claws through her hair "From now on you shall not address Jaken with any title, and if he gives you any orders come check with me first"

"Okay" She then gave him a toothy grin as he wiped her tears away "But why did Mas...I mean Jaken lie to me?"

"Jealousy" Kagome explained "He wishes he had the relationship you and Sesshoumaru have. Ne Sesshoumaru imagine if he tries to send me away" She laughed

"If he tries anything to cause you distress I'll rip his throat out" Sesshoumaru frowned "When you find him purify him"

"I intended on doing so anyway" She smirked "I'll make sure he knows it's from both of us"

"Are we going to find Naraku tomorrow?" Shippo asked

"Yes sweetie" Kagome replied as she kissed his forehead. Shippo then sniffed a little and gapped at his surrogate mother

"Kagome why do you have Prince Sesshoumaru's scent on you? On your lips?" Kagome blushed and laughed nervously

"Well you see, Sesshoumaru and I are a couple now" Shippo's face dropped whilst Rin's lifted into a big grin

"Really?!" Rin beamed "That's so cool"

"You are?" Shippo asked

"Does that upset you Shippo?" Kagome asked suddenly afraid _'Please don't do this to me Shippo'_

"No, I'm happy for you but does that mean you'll be leaving me and coming to live here?" Kagome then laughed

"Of course not love, Sesshoumaru and I are only courting. We haven't gone that far...yet" Sesshoumaru then spoke up

"Do not fear kitsune, if Kagome did come to live here she could bring you too"

"Really?" Kagome smiled "Thank you" She then went on her knees, wrapped her free arm around Sesshoumaru's neck and kissed him tenderly. Rin awed whilst Shippo ewed. She then pulled away and blushed when she remembered their audience

"There would be nowhere else for him to go if I didn't let you. I'm sure Inuyasha has intentions of having Sango as his mate and he will have her living here too"

"Yay" Rin beamed "I've got a brother" She then dived from Sesshoumaru's arms and into Shippo, they rolled from Kagome's lap and landed on the bed. The couple then stood and Kagome giggled

"See she looks at him as a brother not a lover"

"Let's just hope he looks at her the same" Sesshoumaru replied as he wrapped his arm around her waist "I'm returning to the study now that this has all been resolved"

"Okay, if you don't mind I'll unpack Rin's stuff. I'll see you at dinner?" He nodded and pecked her lips. He then turned and left. When the children noticed Kagome was still there they jumped up and down on the bed cheering

"Yay Kagome's staying" Kagome laughed with them and began to unpack all of Rin's belongings

"Kagome, do you love Prince Sesshoumaru?" Rin asked innocently. Kagome smiled softly and nodded

"I suppose"

"Are you going to have a baby?" She almost choked on that one

"We're not that serious honey"

"Awe too bad" Rin sighed

"Yeah it would have been with someone else to play with" Shippo added

"Well as soon as I've finished unpacking I'll play with you"

"Yay Kagome" They cheered. Kagome beamed at them and unfinished unpacking. She then went over to them and played with them for the rest of the day...

About a half hour before dinner Kagome sent the children off to get ready whilst she went off to find Sango and go to the hot springs. When she returned to her room she gasped when she found a single white rose on her bed "It's beautiful" She picked it up and inhaled its scent "Sweet" She then placed it on her dresser and pulled out blue, white and silver kimono with a dark blue obi out of the wardrobe. She quickly slipped into it and brushed her long wavy hair, she then lifted the rose from the dresser and slid it behind her ear. Kagome then slipped into a pair of dark blue flats and spun round in the mirror.

There was then a knock on her door and Sango entered wearing a pink and red kimono with a red obi and matching slippers. She had her hair down long with a red slide in, Sango blushed as she traced her fingers over it "Inuyasha gave it to me, he said it was his mother's"

"Awe that's so sweet"

"Did Prince Sesshoumaru give you that?" She asked pointed to the rose. Kagome nodded and Sango hugged her friend "Romantic"

"Shut up" Kagome blushed as she playfully tapped her friend's arm "Come on let's go to dinner before Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha send a search team out for us" They then linked arms and proceeded to the dining room.

Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha were talking amongst themselves, everyone in the same places as last night so Inuyasha was pretty much leaning over Kagome's seat so he could hear his brother. The sound of shoes tapping against the marble floor was heard causing the Taisho brothers to look up to find their women entering side by side looking absolutely stunning. Inuyasha's jaw dropped whereas Sesshoumaru's eyes widened slightly. Both girls blushed and walked to their places, Miroku gapped at both of their beauty especially Sango's. She had never looked so beautiful since the day he proposed to her.

Kagome took her seat to Sesshoumaru's left. He caught her hand in his and lifted it to his lips "You look impossibly beautiful" He kissed her hand and released her

"Thanks" She winked "You're looking rather dashing yourself"

Sango took her seat beside Inuyasha where he leaned in and captured her lips, he then pulled away and looked over her once again "Gee Sango are ya trying to kill me? You look like a goddess, totally stunning babe"

"Awe thank you love" Sango replied with a blush

"Inuyasha" Kagome laughed "Stop reading the pick-up-lines in my magazine, think of your own"

"Okay okay" He then cleared his throat "Sango" He took her hand in his "Words cannot describe how beautiful you look tonight"

"Soppy pup" Sango laughed and she pecked his lips "But my soppy pup" Miroku coughed something insulting but it was clearly ignored or not heard

"Inuyasha you're making me sick" Shippo wheezed "Honestly get a room"

"Shut it squirt"

"Young love" Jen smiled. She then clapped her hands where servants then entered and placed dinner on the table as well as wine and water, they then bowed and left so that their masters could enjoy their meal in piece "Well dig in everyone, you all have a big journey ahead of you" The gang then lifted their chopsticks and began their meal

"Inuyasha tomorrow we have to head to Totosai's, he says he has news on Naraku but he won't see me on my own, he wants you at my side so I won't kill him. Pathetically annoying" Sesshoumaru explained

"Speaking of annoying where's Jaken?" Sango asked

"He's spending the night in the medical suite" Kagome mused "He has an accident with a few purification arrows"

"He better be well enough to travel tomorrow Kagome" Sesshoumaru warned half-heartedly "The children, AhUn and the neko need some entertainment"

"Don't worry he'll be fine love" Kagome laughed

"Love?" Miroku gapped

"Oh yeah I almost forgot" Kagome then turned her attention to Miroku "Sesshoumaru asked me to court him today and I agreed"

"Congratulations Kagome" Miroku smiled genuinely "I wish you all the happiness"

"Awe thank you, I would hug you but I think Sesshoumaru would lop off your head"

"Don't worry about it" The monk laughed "We'll do what you call 'air hugs' later" The rest of dinner was eaten with some small talk in between.

By the end of dessert everyone were sipping wine and socialising. Rin and Shippo huddled close and began to whisper to each other "Right Rin remember the plan, I ask Kagome to take me to bed and you ask Prince Sesshoumaru. It will make them think of having one of their own and we could have a new playmate"

"Got it" They both then put tired faces on and walked over to Kagome and Sesshoumaru. Shippo approached Kagome first

"Kagome I'm really tired" He yawned "Will you take me to bed please?"

"Sure honey" Kagome then lifted Shippo into her arms and stood. She was about to leave when she heard Rin asking Sesshoumaru the very same thing. He agreed and awkwardly lifted the infant into his arms, Inuyasha just had to go and tease him so Sango hit him. The young Prince walked over to Kagome and they both carried the children out of the dining room and up the stairs "I'll take Shippo to his and I'll meet you outside of Rin's" She then pecked Sesshoumaru's cheek and carried Shippo off to his room. When she arrived at his room she entered and dressed him into some pyjamas. She then lay him in his bed and tucked him in "Sweet dreams Shippo"

"Goodnight Kagome" Kagome then blew out and the candle and closed the door behind her. She then proceeded down the hallway and to the West Wing where Sesshoumaru would be awaiting her.

Sesshoumaru lay Rin in her bed and pulled the covers over her, he certainly wasn't used to doing stuff like this. Last time something like this happened he was the pup being tucked into his bed by his parents, thinking back to those times he brushed the bangs from Rin's eyes and watched as her chocolate orbs slowly closed "Goodnight Rin"

"Goodnight Prince Sesshoumaru" She yawned. She then turned in her bed and snuggled up to her stuffed rabbit, Sesshoumaru blew out the candle and quietly closed her bedroom door. He then turned to find Kagome approaching him.

Kagome ran over to Sesshoumaru and dived onto his lips, almost grinning Sesshoumaru pulled her closer and deepened the kiss. Feeling her hands roaming around his chest he decided this was not the right place to continue anything, he pulled away from her and placed his finger on her lip before she could protest "Shh my little miko" He hushed "Would you care to continue this in my chambers?"

"Huh?" She blushed "Sesshoumaru I don't mean to sound like a timid little thing but it's only our first night together" He chuckled at this

"I had no intentions of doing such things to you tonight, I just want some privacy with you"

"Oh" She mentally slapped herself, _'Great Kagome, he most probably thinks that you think he's some kind of pervert. You're such an idiot' _"Umm okay then" Nodding Sesshoumaru took Kagome's hand and led her into his chambers.

Kagome walked into the middle of his room and gasped in the beauty of it. Silver painted walls with a soft dark blue carpet. A giant oak walk-through wardrobe, a desk, a dresser, two glass doors that led to a balcony over looking the garden, a dark blue couch with silver cushions and a massive king sized bed that was also dark blue but with silver pillows and patterns "It's gorgeous" She beamed "You sure like your blue and silver" Sesshoumaru then wrapped his arms around her waist from behind her and began to plant butterfly kisses on her neck "Hmm" She moaned as she threw her head back against his shoulder. He gently lead her over to his bed and lay on it with her, he noticed she looked awfully nervous and afraid, he smiled softly and kissed her cheek

"I'm not going to hurt you Kagome, I just want you to simply lay with me"

"You realize the phrase 'lay with me' means more than one thing right?" She asked with a nervous laugh

"Yes" He chuckled "I mean the clean one" He then leaned up on his elbow and brushed her hair from her neck "May I give you my courting mark?" She gave a nod with a shaky breath and he leaned down to her neck "Relax Kagome" He breathed into her ear "I won't hurt you" She let herself relax beneath him and he kissed the place where he chose to mark her, the junction between her neck and shoulder. He then opened his mouth and began to nibble and suck at that one part of skin. Kagome let out a moan as she threw her head back, it felt incredibly good to be touched like this. She wrapped her arms around his neck and sighed in content. When he finished Sesshoumaru had to force himself to move away, the taste of her skin was so enticing and inviting. He eyes met hers that were full of adoration and love for her, she slowly reached up and traced the magenta stripes on his cheeks

"Beautiful..." She murmured

"Yes...you are" He breathed as he pulled the rose from her hair and traced it over her lips repeatedly "Did you like your gift?"

"Of course" She smiled. He then slid the rose over the small red mark on her neck and then held it firmly against her arm as she pulled him down to feel his lips on hers. He dropped the rose and let his hands slither around her waist and up and down her sides. He was now towering over her and growled in satisfaction when he felt her hands roaming from his neck, down his sides and over his chest. She moaned into his lips and he immediately pulled away onto his knees. Kagome sat up on her elbows panting "What's wrong?"

"You're too enticing" He replied between pants "I had to stop before I took you right here"

"Your self-control is astonishing" She smiled.

Sesshoumaru then lay down on his side and wrapped his arms around her, one around her waist and the other around her shoulders. She leaned down and kissed her softly on the forehead "Stay here with me, sleep here tonight?" Kagome nodded

"But I can't sleep in this" She mused "It's too damn hot" Sesshoumaru then sat up and pulled his outer haori off

"Put this on, I won't look" She gave him a 'yeah right' look and took his haori from him. She then pulled her obi off and wrapped it around his eyes "I thought you trusted me"

"I do" She whispered against his lips "I'm just cautious" She then crawled off the bed and quickly stripped down to her bra and underwear, she slipped the haori on and closed it with one of the ties she found on Sesshoumaru's chair. She then crawled back on the bed, beside Sesshoumaru and pulled the obi from his eyes. When he saw her in his haori, just his haori, he bit back the urge to groan

"I may like seeing you in that more than I should at the moment" He then raised his hands to her "You should bind these just in case they wander to far"

"You and I both know you'll just break my obi" She giggled "Sesshoumaru I trust you, I don't need to bind your hands" She then let out a yawn and stretched "I'm exhausted"

"Then we shall sleep" He then slid off the bed and went to his draws

"Where are you going?"

"I cannot sleep in my clothes either miko" He pulled out a night hakama and set it down on his dresser. He then pulled off his inner haori without warning, Kagome's jaw dropped at all the muscles and toned parts of his chest. Sesshoumaru saw this and smirked arrogantly "See something you like Kagome?"

"Jerk" She blushed as she covered her eyes with a pillow "Just hurry and change" He chuckled softly as he swiftly kicked off his shoes, socks and hakama and pulled on his night hakama. He then walked back over to his bed and lay back against his pillow

"You can remove the pillow now" She did so as gasped when she found he was still topless

"Sesshoumaru can you please put a haori on?" She huffed

"I don't sleep with a haori" He replied simply "It gets too hot"

"Tell me about it" She murmured "But it's distracting, I find it hard to look at your face" Sesshoumaru then wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her down to him so that their faces were just inches away and she was pressed up against his chest

"Is that better?" He mused as he nuzzled her cheek

"For now" She pouted "Jerk" Ignoring the fact his top half was naked Kagome lay her head on his shoulder and snuggled up to him. Smiling genuinely at this, Sesshoumaru pulled the covers from beneath them over them and wrapped his arms protectively around her. He kissed her forehead and closed his eyes

"'night Sesshoumaru"

"Goodnight Kagome" They both then fell into the land of the dreams snuggled up in each other's arms.

Meanwhile Jen, Miroku, Inuyasha and Sango were still downstairs in the dining room. Inuyasha kicked his feet up on the table and folded his arms, he tapped his finger impatiently against his arm and sighed "When the hell are they gonna come back down?"

**Another chapter up and it's longer ;)**

**It's to make up for not being here for two weeks**

**Well hoped you enjoyed it**

**Reviews please :)**

**Inuyashasesshy4eva**

**xXx**


	9. Travelling Again

Chapter Nine – Travelling Again

Why was there a soft murmuring of voices around her? Couldn't anyone see she was trying to sleep? People could be so inconsiderate. But wait. Why would there be people talking in Sesshoumaru's chambers? Out of sheer curiosity Kagome opened her sea-green gaze to meet the chocolate ones of Sango "Oh so you're finally awake"

"Sango? What are you doing here?" She pulled herself up into a sitting position to find Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru. Everyone was just sitting on the bed. This was crazy. "Uh did I miss something?"

"We were rudely awoken by my inconsiderate half brother and his mate" Sesshoumaru stated as he met her gaze

"I guessed that" Kagome rolled her eyes "Not that I don't love you guys but...what do ya want?"

"Heh some greeting" Inuyasha huffed as he folded his arms "I was just telling Sesshoumaru that we should head out today, I know it's a little early but we have nothing to hang around for and we need to find some more jewel shards before Naraku does. The sun's out, it's just a matter of time before the snow melts"

"In other words Inuyasha's getting cranky and can't stay in the same place for more than two weeks" Sango shrugged

"Hey" Inuyasha then pulled Sango into his lap and dipped her "Care to say that again?"

"Why? You heard me the first time didn't you" She poked her tongue out and pulled herself back up into a sitting position

"Hey where's Kirara?" Kagome asked looking around the bed chambers

"With Rin and Shippo" Sango replied as she slapped Inuyasha "Don't grope me" She warned

"Don't slay me" Inuyasha teased

"You two do realize you have company?" Kagome raised a brow

"Feh" Inuyasha snorted as Sango blushed and apologized "Anyway, are we gonna head out today or what? You said Totosai wanted to see us as soon as possible, so why should we dawdle?"

"Alright Inuyasha we'll leave today" Sesshoumaru sighed. Kagome looked up and noticed he was wearing a haori _'Heh so he'll cover up for them' _"I suggest you prepare Rin, the kit and the monk and I shall have some of my servants prepare us some supplies and strap them to AhUn"

"Where's my uniform?" Kagome asked as she met Sesshoumaru's gaze

"Most probably back in your chambers" He then frowned "You won't be wearing that, will you?"

"Of course I'm gonna wear it" She replied "Why not?"

"In this weather? Do you want to slip into another coma?"

"Well I can't wear the kimonos I've been given, they're really nice and all that but they're not exactly for travelling. And don't even suggest a miko garb, I refuse to look like Kikyo"

"Then what do you suggest?"

"Well I'll wear my uniform for now but if you're willing we could stop by the well where I can get some winter clothes from my home" Sesshoumaru gave a short nod and turned to Inuyasha

"Both of you leave, we need to get ready"

"Sure" Inuyasha then lifted Sango into his arms and jumped off the bed "See ya by...where?"

"At breakfast" Sesshoumaru replied "I will not have Kagome and Rin travelling with empty stomachs"

"Same here" Inuyasha then moved his gaze to Sango "I'm not having you go hungry" He then left his brother's bed chambers with Sango. Sesshoumaru then turned to Kagome and kissed her softly on the lips

"How did you sleep?"

"Like a baby" She smiled "Uh...are you like embarrassed of being with me?" He then frowned and raised a brow

"Why would I be?"

"Well it's just that you didn't even hug me when I woke, don't you want people knowing about us? Well Inuyasha and Sango already know but still"

"I'm not embarrassed or ashamed of us Kagome, I'm just not used to showing emotion publicly" He wrapped an arm around her and lifted her chin so that their eyes were level with each other "I apologize if I made you feel like that, it was not intentional I assure you. You must realize that I always have my defences up. Will you be patient with me?"

"Of course I will" She smiled "Sorry I thought wrongly of you"

"It's perfectly normal" He then leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. He then pulled away and stood "I suggest you change into that damned revealing thing and come down to breakfast"

"Ah I see what's going on here" Kagome smirked as she stood. She then poked him in the chest "You don't want me wearing my uniform because people can see my legs, not because of the weather"

"I don't want you wearing it for your health...and that" He replied as he caught her offending hand "Can you blame me for feeling possessive? We are courting now, we belong to each other and no one else. I don't want some male drooling over you"

"Awe Sesshoumaru" She smiled "You're so caring" He immediately turned his head away but Kagome was sure she saw a blush

"J-just go get ready and wait for me" Kagome giggled and nodded

"Okay, see you in a minute" She then skipped out of his chambers and into hers opposite. She went straight to her wardrobe and let out a sigh of relief to find her uniform there. She then stripped out of Sesshoumaru's haori and her underwear and slipped on a fresh pair along with her uniform. She then slipped on her socks and shoes and moved to pack her bright, yellow backpack. Once that was done she brushed her long hair and threw her pack over her shoulder. She then grabbed her bow and arrows and left her room. Not surprisingly Sesshoumaru was ready and awaiting her outside his own room; he was dressed in his usual attire with Tenseiga and Tokijen strapped to his waist "I'm ready" She beamed. Nodding he slithered his arm around her waist and escorted her to the dining room.

Upon entering they found everyone but Inuyasha sitting at the dining table awaiting their arrival. Kagome dropped her pack and weapons by the entrance and walked over to the gang with Sesshoumaru at her side. They both took their normal places as servants came in and served them breakfast "Ne Sango, where's Inuyasha?"

"He's gone to get my Hirakotsu" She sighed "I told him I'd get it but he had to be the big man and get it himself"

"Well at least you've got yourself a personal slave" Kagome laughed "Only joking, it's very thoughtful of him" As she said this Inuyasha came in massaging his shoulder

"Everything alright Yash?" Sango asked with an amused gleam on her face

"That thing's heavy" He moaned "How does someone as little as you manage to lug that thing around?"

"Practise" She mused "Come sit down, you're the one who wants to leave early and now you're delaying us"

"Alright woman I'm coming already" He took his seat beside her and pretty much shoved his face into his rice bowl

"Boar" Sesshoumaru sighed as he drank his tea

"Oink" Kagome giggled causing Inuyasha to glare at her "What?" She shrugged

"I heard ya, the both of ya"

"Well don't eat like a pig" Kagome scolded "Sango you'll have to teach him how to eat properly" She teased

"Answer me this, have I just been blessed with a lover or a son?" She laughed

"Hey" Inuyasha growled "Would a son leave you such marks at that?" He brushed her hair from her shoulder to reveal her courting mark

"Yash" She blushed as she tapped his arm. Miroku bit back the urge to growl and carried on with his rice

"Sesshoumaru will you be heading straight to Totosai's?" Jen asked. Sesshoumaru nodded and placed his empty cup down "I see, please be careful and come back soon. I'm going to miss you all so much, I've never go on with so many humans before"

"I'm gonna miss you too my Queen" Kagome smiled

"Kagome you're my son's woman now, you shall address me by my name"

"Okay...Jen"

"That goes for you too Sango. Inuyasha may not be my son but he is part of the family, I want you to just call me by my name. After all we are friends"

"Thank you" Sango smiled...

After breakfast everyone was at the front of the palace with everything they needed including Jaken and AhUn "Be safe" Jen smiled as she hugged the girls and children, she didn't bother attempting with Sesshoumaru, she knew what he was like "Hopefully I shall see you in roughly a month"

"Hopefully" Kagome smiled as she waved. The group then headed out towards Totosai's home. Kagome and Sango continued to wave back to Jen until she was gone from their sight "Awe I feel sorry for her, I bet she's gonna feel so lonely"

"I know" Sango sighed "Why didn't she come with us?"

"It's not her duty to fight" Sesshoumaru stated as he kept his eyes on the road "It is her duty to keep the palace and kingdom in check during my absence"

"If you and I mated would that be my duty?" Kagome asked

"No" He smirked "I know you cannot be subdued miko, I doubt you'd stay back at the palace whilst I was out battling"

"Thank god" She laughed. Sango then tapped Kagome on the shoulder and pointed at Inuyasha who was walking slightly in front lugging the Hirakotsu on his back, he already looked drained, they both giggled causing him to turn around and glare at them

"What's so funny?"

"Inuyasha" Sango giggled "Let me carry my own weapon" She knew he wouldn't give it to her if she said it was too heavy for him, his pride would not allow it. Instead she made up an excuse "I want to have it in my hands just in case some youkai try to attack us, I need something to defend myself with"

"Are ya sure? Ya know I'll protect you" He asked

"Of course I'm sure" She smiled as she took it from him and strapped it on her own back "I know you'll protect me but you can't do so 24/7"

"Feh just watch me" He grinned. He then caught her hand and continued on. Miroku was caring for the children at the time so he used that as an excuse to ignore his cocky former best friend. Kagome watched them in awe, she was so happy for Sango. This was the break she finally needed. They were now nearing a forest that would lead them straight to Totosai's home, Kagome told the children to stay on AhUn just in case some stray youkai jumped out and attacked. After all it was still mating season

"Ne Kagome there is a field of flowers just up ahead" Rin cutely began "Do you think we could play there?"

"Perhaps on the way back sweetie" She smiled "We need to see Totosai first, it's very important"

"Alright" Rin beamed. She then turned and continued playing with Shippo

"You should be asking Prince Sesshoumaru, Rin!" Jaken squawked

"No one asked you to open your mouth _Jaken_" Rin and Shippo snickered

"Why you insolent..." He was cut off by Kagome zapping him with some of her purification powers "Why you despicable wench, how are you strike me! You human filth" This time Sesshoumaru turned and whacked the imp across his head

"If you haven't realized, Kagome and I are now courting. I will not have you speak so lowly to her, do so again and I'll kill you" Sesshoumaru warned. He then turned and carried on forward. He began to notice Kagome watching the interaction between Inuyasha and Sango and knew she must be envying them, he didn't mean to not show her his affections in public. He just wasn't used to it. As soon as she let out a sigh he slithered his arm around her waist but kept his gaze on the path ahead.

Kagome felt her heat skip a beat, sure it was only a small sign of affection but he was trying. He was trying for her. She suddenly felt guilty when she guessed he must have seen her gawking at her friends, she must have made him feel bad for it. She would have shown him some affection back if her hands weren't full with her pack and weapons. Miroku noticed her distress and neared her "Kagome do you want me to carry anything?"

"Oh don't worry yourself over me" Kagome smiled "You have to keep your hands free just in case someone attacks, I'll just drop my pack if something happens" Miroku nodded and returned to AhUn's side where the children were giggling and playing around. AhUn let out an annoyed grunt and shifted over to Kagome. One of its heads took Kagome's pack from her shoulder and carried it in its mouth "AhUn?" It let out a small grunt as if it was telling her not to be so foolish. She giggled slightly and patted both of its muzzles "Thank you" Now that she had an arm free, she placed her hand over Sesshoumaru's that currently had her waist and smiled up at him when he looked at her from the corner of his eye

"Hey Sesshoumaru how far is Totosai's from here? It feels like we've been walking forever" The hanyou complained

"We've only been travelling for a mere half hour" Sesshoumaru replied "We not far, as soon as we get out of this forest we will be at the base of the hill that leads to his cave"

"Damn it" Inuyasha growled "I forget about that damned hill, why did he have to live on a hill that had lava melting most of it away?"

"I suppose the lava helps when he forges weapons" Sango replied with a shrug "Either that or he likes hot secluded areas, it sure helps in this weather" She rubbed her arms with a shiver

"If you were cold you could have told me" He then pulled his outer haori off and wrapped it around her shoulders, minding her weapon

"Inuyasha..." She blushed with a shy smile "Thank you"

"Heh no problem" He then entwined his fingers with hers and kissed her softly on the lips

"Could you do that in private?" Miroku huffed "I'm sure none of us want to see you two exchanging saliva"

"I don't think anyone else minds" Inuyasha smirked "What's the matter Miroku? You don't seem to mind people watching you when you have your tongue in some poor girl's mouth"

"Don't start you two" Kagome warned "Or I'll S.I.T you Inuyasha and I'll beat you with your own staff Miroku" They both averted their gazes and huffed "Boys" Kagome rolled her eyes. Sesshoumaru smirked and leaned down to her ear

"At least I know you'd make a disciplined mother" She smirked at his comment and squeezed his hand

"To how many children?" Her eyes darted to his lips that were mere inches away from hers

"As many as you desire my little miko" He was about to kiss her when two boar youkai jumped out of the trees in front of all of them

"Give us your women and we won't kill ya" One ordered with a spear in his grasp

"What a pretty girl" The other grinned as it set its eyes on Kagome "I think I'll have you"

"I don't like pork that much" Kagome snorted

"Come on, I'll show you what a real youkai is like in bed" Immediately Kagome felt Sesshoumaru's grip tighten on her waist as he let out a threatening growl. He lifted his free hand and cracked his claws, they then glowed a deadly gold as his whip shot out and lopped the boar's head off. He was about to kill the other one when Inuyasha stopped him

"I got this one"

"You got nothing" The boar smirked "Your wench is still a virgin, do you displease her so much she doesn't want you to touch her?"

"Perverted pig" Sango spat

"I'll make you eat those words" Inuyasha then pushed Sango behind him and unsheathed his sword "I've got ten times more than you" He then raised his fang "WIND SCAR" In one sweep Inuyasha killed the boar taking a few trees with him as he went. When the blast subsided Inuyasha sheathed his sword and pulled Sango back to him

"I think you over did it" Sango laughed "Did I mention how handsome you look when you go all protective?"

"No ya didn't" He mused as he captured her lips once again. Inuyasha noticed Sesshoumaru's aura still hadn't calmed, that boar must have really ticked his beast off. Her turned to find his brother's eyes their normal golden shade so he didn't threat over it too much, he knew it was only a matter of time before his brother calmed. Kirara was unnerved by Sesshoumaru's aura and jumped on Sango's shoulder just to be safe.

Kagome could sense he was angry, his grip on her waist still hasn't loosened even if his growling had seized. He had a frown glued to his face as she noticed he had clenched his fist tightly with his free hand "Are you alright?" She whispered, knowing that he wouldn't want everyone hearing them

"I shall be" He replied in the same tone but perhaps a little more angrier "I should go revive that boar and kill him all over again for even looking at you"

"I wouldn't have gone with him anyway so don't threat over it" She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze "I'm all yours" His hand then left her waist and trailed up to her neck. He pushed her hair from her shoulder and fingered her courting mark

"Indeed you are" He relaxed some "I realize you would have gone with him, I have far more to give you" Kagome smiled and caught the hand on her neck

"The only thing I want from you is your affection, I don't care if you're the Prince of Japan or could get me anything I desire"

"I know" He then leaned forward and captured her lips

"Finally" Upon hearing Inuyasha's relieved cry, Sesshoumaru pulled away to find his brother gazing up the hill that led to Totosai's "We're finally here" Without waiting for anyone else Sesshoumaru gathered Kagome into his arms and flew up to the top "Hey! Wait!" Inuyasha then turned to Sango "He's such a show off"

"And you're not?" She teased

"Just get on my back"

"Or we could fly on Kirara" The two tail mewed and jumped from Sango as she transformed. The young couple then jumped on and flew up after Sesshoumaru. AhUn followed suit with Miroku, Shippo and Rin on his back and with Jaken holding on to his tail. When everyone landed outside Totosai's cave the old youkai himself came out and wiped the bangs from his eyes

"Gee you youngsters sure do come early" He yawned

"Hey old man you told us to come as soon as possible" Inuyasha growled "And it's the damned afternoon"

"Oh is it? My age confuses me" Totosai then moved his gaze to Sesshoumaru who was just setting Kagome on her feet. He saw the courting mark on her neck and gapped "Prince Sesshoumaru and Kagome? How is that possible?"

"Nice to know you're happy for us" Kagome laughed "Thanks for the support"

"Sorry my girl but I always thought it'd be you and Inuyasha. But it would seem you've all moved on"

"Totosai what is this information on Naraku you have for us?" Sesshoumaru interrupted

"Oh yes of course" He then cleared his throat "Naraku came here the other day demanding that I forge him a sword, I told him I would do no such thing and that I'd rather die. He didn't manage to kill me as the sheaths of my swords created a barrier to protect me. But as he left I saw him head to the East, I believe he is most probably pursuing that wolf who desires young Kagome. Doesn't he have shards in his legs?"

"Yeah he does" Kagome replied

"Great now we have to go save that mangy wolf" Inuyasha huffed "Oh well I suppose it'll be fun"

"What do you mean?" Sango asked as she looked up at him with her brow risen

"Think about it. Kouga will try to advance on Kagome and then Sesshoumaru will kill him, saves us the trouble of fighting for the shards"

"Inuyasha" Kagome sighed as she pulled Sango from his hold "Sit boy"

"Wha...ah" The hanyou crashed into the ground with a yelp

"Gee fight your own battles" Kagome then turned back to Totosai "Thanks for helping us Totosai"

"No problem" He smiled "I think everyone wants him gone from this world"

"Amen to that" Miroku mused

"If you learn any more news let us know" Sesshoumaru then lifted Kagome

"Just send Myouga or something" Inuyasha added. The gang all then took to the sky and headed North to the enchanted well in Inuyasha's forest...

Within 2 hours they arrived at their destination and descended down by the well. Sesshoumaru set Kagome down as everyone else climbed off the youkai to give them a break "I should be around an hour or so" Kagome said as AhUn handed her pack to her "Thank you"

"Ya need help Kagome?" Inuyasha asked "I'll come"

"Okay" Kagome then took Sesshoumaru's hand and pulled him away from the gang so that she could have a few quiet words with him "I would take you with me but I don't know if the well will let you through and I have to tell my mom I'm with you first. My gramps is also very anti-youkai so I have to explain everything with him"

"I understand Kagome" He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear "As long as Inuyasha is with you to keep you safe"

"Yeah he will but my time period isn't as dangerous as yours. It's nothing like here"

"Danger is everywhere" He stated "Just keep Inuyasha by your side"

"I will don't worry, the only time I'll leave his side is when I go change" She smirked "Unless you want him there too"

"No" He growled as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close "Why would I request that if I haven't even seen you?"

"You tell me" She winked "I'll see you soon" She was about to break away when Sesshoumaru leaned in and kissed her forehead

"Don't be long, I don't like it"

"Then keep this until I come back" Her hands went to his shoulders as she leaned up onto her tiptoes and kissed him tenderly

"Kagome today would be good" Inuyasha huffed

"Inuyasha!" Sango slapped "She's bidding her farewells"

"Why? We won't be long" He sighed "But I guess it's an excuse to kiss you" Before she could mouth anything he crashed his lips against hers and leaned into her ear "Don't go anywhere near Miroku while I'm gone, stay by Sesshoumaru" She gave a short nod and he broke away. He then walked over to Sesshoumaru and Kagome who had just parted lips "Sesshoumaru" He began "Make sure a certain monk doesn't go near Sango and keep her company please"

"I shall protect her" Sesshoumaru stated "In return you shall make sure no harm comes to Kagome, if she comes back with a scratch on her I'll pin you to Goshinboku myself"

"Yeah? If anything happens to Sango I'll shove Tetsusaiga into your hands, how would ya like that burning sensation?"

"Grow up" Kagome groaned as she grabbed Inuyasha's arm and dragged him over to the well "Rin, Shippo, be good now and when I return I'll give you some treats"

"Thank you Kagome" They beamed

"Come on already" Inuyasha then impatiently grabbed Kagome's arm and jumped down the well. The bright blue light engulfed them and they were no longer at the bottom of the well in Feudal Era Japan...

**Hey guys, here's another chapter**

**Well hope you enjoy it**

**Reviews please :)**

**Inuyashasesshy4eva**

**xXx**


	10. Kouga's Mistake

Chapter Ten – Kouga's Mistake

Inuyasha and Kagome entered Kagome's house to find it deadly quiet "Well that isn't normal" Inuyasha mouthed

"Hello? Mom, Gramps, Souta?"

"Kagome?" Mrs Higurashi came out from the kitchen and greeted her daughter and friend "Awe I've missed you so much" She held her daughter close "What have you been up to?"

"Well I think you need to sit down" Kagome and Inuyasha took Mrs Higurashi into the living room and sat her down "Mom, I..." But she was cut off by her grandfather entering

"Oh Kagome, Inuyasha, I didn't realize you were back" He sat down next to his daughter "How has things been?"

"Well I need to tell you guys that I have a boyfriend" There was a silence but was soon interrupted by her Gramps jumping to his feet and pointing an accusing his finger at Inuyasha as he cursed

"If you get my granddaughter pregnant then so help me I'll purify you back to your home"

"Hey we're not together" Inuyasha defended from behind Kagome "I'm with a demon slayer"

"Then who are you with?" Gramps snapped as he met Kagome's annoyed gaze

"Dad please sit down" Mrs Higurashi sighed "You're lucky Souta is in school, I doubt he'd want to see his grandfather acting so foolish. Now Kagome dear continue"

"I'm with Inuyasha's brother" She began "He's a youkai..." She was cut off again

"No granddaughter of mine will be seeing any youkai, Inuyasha is hanyou it is different. This youkai you're with could kill you"

"This isn't the same brother who has attacked both of you in the past, is it?" Mrs Higurashi frowned when Kagome gave a nervous laugh

"He's not like that any more, Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru get on now. It was all just a big misunderstanding"

"And I'm assuming this Sesshoumaru is your youkai boyfriend?" Gramps growled

"He would never harm me Gramps" Kagome snapped "We really like each other, he's very protective of me"

"If he's so protective then why isn't he here?"

"I told him not to because I knew you'd freak out like you are now"

"Kagome darling, how old is this Sesshoumaru?" Mrs Higurashi asked

"I uh..." Kagome looked at Inuyasha who just shrugged

"Don't ask me, I'd say in human terms he's roughly 17"

"Two years older?!" Gramps freaked

"Dad calm down" Mrs Higurashi scolded "Do you want me to send you to your room?" Gramps immediately shut up and settled with glaring at his granddaughter "I'd like to meet this Sesshoumaru. If he's anything like Inuyasha then you have my blessings"

"Feh he's nothing like me" Inuyasha snorted "He's an emotionless bastard"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome slapped him "He's very mature, caring and kind. He's just always had to hide his emotions as they are a weakness. He has to because he's the Prince of Japan"

"Prince of Japan?" Mrs Higurashi gapped "You're with a Prince?"

"Hang on" Gramps sat forward "_The_ Prince Sesshoumaru? The one I have in many scrolls? The killing perfection?"

"We have scrolls of him?" Kagome tilted her head cutely to the side

"Well that changes everything" Gramps grinned "That is the only youkai I want to see you with, Prince Sesshoumaru - I have read – has a reputation for being a very loyal, brave, powerful youkai. Though he has bad traits of being arrogant and deadly"

"He treats me with so much respect" Kagome smiled "He hasn't touched me wrongly at all. He makes me feel...well beautiful. And he's ever so protective, he even made Inuyasha come with me so no danger would befall me"

"Well that is responsible" Mrs Higurashi nodded "Then you have my permission to be with his highness"

"Thanks mom"

"And next time you visit bring him along, I have so many questions to ask him" Gramps demanded

"Heh" Inuyasha smirked "Sesshoumaru doesn't like humans, Kagome and his ward are the only humans he likes"

"That's not true" Kagome corrected "He doesn't seem to hate Sango and he would never shun my family"

"I'm not saying he would, but do ya think he could take ya Gramps pestering him with on going questions? Sesshoumaru may be the patient type but he will only bother going into conversation if its necessary"

"It's not his fault, it was his upbringing" She defended "Don't forget Jen can't stand humans so she raised him to hate them, and it didn't help when your dad met your mother and ripped him from his own mother. You know most of the things he says are mostly to do with his arrogance and pride, he doesn't mean half of it" Kagome then turned to her mother "He'd never do anything to upset any of you, he's not like that. Inuyasha is just saying all this because he and Sesshoumaru are well brothers"

"Don't worry love" Mrs Higurashi chuckled "Just bring him with you on your next visit. So how long are you staying today?"

"Not long, I'm just here to restock" Kagome sighed "We can't stay long as we have a new lead to where Naraku is"

"Oh" Her mother looked disappointed "I understand" Kagome gave her mother a sympathetic smile and took Inuyasha's wrist

"Come on Yash, you can help me pack" She then dragged him upstairs and into her room. Once there she emptied her pack and refilled it with new supplies such as clothes, underwear, a swimsuit, first aid kit and some toiletries. She then ran over to her wardrobe and pulled out a pair of jeans, a long white sleeved top that had "Kawaii" on it, a dark blue jacket with a hood and a pair of trainers "I'm gonna get changed in the bathroom, if you peak I'll make sure both Sango and Sesshoumaru find out"

"Feh I've got my own woman to look at" He snorted as he collapsed on her bed

"I'll tell her that" Kagome then slipped into the bathroom and got changed. When she reappeared she had some blankets that she stuffed into her pack along with her sleeping bag

"It's like a bottomless pit" Inuyasha groaned as he watched Kagome shove things into her bag

"That's why I love it" She grinned.

"Hey Kagome do ya mind that Sesshoumaru isn't showing you all the compassion he should?"

"He's trying" She explained as she closed her pack "He said it's hard for him to show his emotions in public"

"Does it hurt when you see me and Sango cuddling and kissing? It's just I couldn't see Sesshoumaru doing that out in the open"

"It doesn't hurt but I do envy you" She smiled sadly "But he's trying so that's all that counts right"

"Sure" He smiled "I'm sure he'll improve, it is most probably his mission to make you happy now. I can see how much he cares for you by the way he looks at you"

"I cherish him so much" She replied "I feel so content when I'm with him, I just have to be around him and I'm happy" She then threw her bag over her shoulder "Come on Yash, now it's time to stock up on the goodies" As soon as he heard this he shot off the bed, grabbed Kagome's hand and dragged her downstairs and into the kitchen. Kagome laughed all the way and set her pack down on the kitchen counter

"Where's the ramen?" He asked as he snooped through the cupboards "Ah here it is" He pulled out around 12 pots and juggled them over to her

"If you think I'm carrying all of them you've got another thing coming" She sighed as she took 4 from him "This will be enough" She then shoved them into her bag and moved to get some more food such as potato chips, water, juice, cola, candy, chocolate, packs of rice and some fruit. As she was doing all this Mrs Higurashi entered and went straight to the fridge

"Kagome dear I've made some lunch boxes up that you can all share" She pulled out 6 boxes and set them down on the table

"Thanks mom but they're not gonna fit in here"

"That's a first" Inuyasha muttered

"Well you need to eat healthy food as well love" She frowned "Here" Mrs Higurashi then pulled out another backpack – smaller than Kagome's – and filled it with the lunch boxes "Inuyasha you can carry this for her, can't you?"

"Uh...sure" Inuyasha took the bag from Kagome's mother whilst the little miko threw her own pack over her shoulders "Well we're set to go"

"Be careful" Mrs Higurashi warned as she hugged her daughter "And behave yourself"

"Mom!" Kagome blushed "You're impossible"

"She's right though Kagome" Gramps sighed as he entered "I don't want you coming home pregnant"

"What if I don't come home for like three months?" Kagome joked

"Don't annoy your grandfather" Mrs Higurashi laughed as she kissed Kagome's cheek "We shall see you soon"

"Hopefully" Kagome then gave her grandfather a hug and left for the well house with Inuyasha at her side "You won't have to carry that for long Inuyasha, we will most probably stop to eat it soon"

"But I want ramen" Inuyasha moaned

"Fine then you can keep carrying them until we run out of ramen"

"No way" Inuyasha huffed "Fine we'll eat these first"

"I thought you'd see reason" She giggled as Inuyasha helped her up onto the well "I wouldn't even say we were here an hour"

"Heh I don't know, your family sure can talk"

"That's family for you" They both then jumped down the well and were once again engulfed by the blinding blue light...

Meanwhile back in the feudal era Shippo and Rin were playing tag, Miroku had his gaze on the woman who was stolen from him, Sango was sitting impatiently by the well as she petted Kirara, Jaken was bugging AhUn and Sesshoumaru was just Sesshoumaru. "How long has it been?" The demon slayer impatiently asked

"For the last time demon slayer, an hour has only just passed" Sesshoumaru sighed from the tree he sat beneath "Do not worry so much, you're under my protection"

"Oh it's not that" Sango smiled "For some reason I'm just eager to have Inuyasha back. Don't you feel the same eagerness for Kagome?"

"I am simply more patient" In Sesshoumaru language that meant yes. Just as he said this a blinding blue light erupted from the well. Everyone stopped what they were doing and moved to the well

"Heads up" Inuyasha shouted as he threw Kagome's pack and the bag with the lunch boxes up. Sango caught them both with ease and set them down beside her. Inuyasha then wrapped his arm around Kagome's waist and jumped out of the well, he landed on the tips of his toes and released Kagome "Has everything been alright?"

"Inuyasha" Sango beamed as she ran into his arms "I missed you"

"Heh I was only gone an hour" He smiled as he wrapped his arms around her

"I know, that's how crazy I am about you"

"Awe" Kagome grinned. She then ran over to Sesshoumaru and caught his hands "Any trouble?"

"No" He shook his head as he leaned down and captured her lips "What of your side?"

"Nope everything was fine. I told my mother and grandfather about us and they're thrilled. My Gramps wants me to bring you over next time, he said he has so much to ask you" Sesshoumaru just raised his brow "He apparently has scrolls on you and most probably wants to ask you about them, I think you're his idol" She giggled

"I see" He then smirked "Those clothes are an improvement" Kagome poked her tongue out at him and released him. She then picked up her pack as Inuyasha picked up the other bag, she was about to return to Sesshoumaru's side when AhUn once again took the pack from her

"Awe you're such a darling" She giggled as she kissed each of its head "I'll reward you later" With her bow and arrows still on her shoulder Kagome returned to Sesshoumaru where he then caught her hand

"Come, we must get to the Eastern Lands before nightfall" Sesshoumaru said as he turned and headed in the direction of their destination

"Awe that's impossible" Inuyasha groaned as he snaked his arm around Sango's waist and followed "Sesshoumaru, ya gonna be the death of me" Sesshoumaru just smirked as he continued on. Everyone soon caught up with him and the journeying continued...

It was merely two hours until sunset and the gang had just arrived in the Eastern Lands, everyone was tired and just wanted to stop and rest for the night "Sesshoumaru" Inuyasha breathlessly groaned "Can we please stop for camp? I'm exhausted"

"We need to find a secluded area to camp first" Sesshoumaru stated "The snow has not melted completely and it is too cold for the humans and children, there is a cave not too far from here. We shall go there and set up camp"

"Then can we fly?"

"We're trying to keep a low profile, if we fly Naraku may pick up our auras" He then turned and continued to the cave. Kagome had noticed the temperature had decreased. She was freezing, she wished she had at least packed some gloves now. She released Sesshoumaru's hand and rubbed her own hands together as she sneezed

"Is it just me or has it gotten colder?" She sneezed again. Worrying for her health Sesshoumaru pulled her outer haori off and wrapped it around her, he then pulled her close to him for body warmth "Thank you" She nuzzled his chest as she slipped her arms through the haori sleeves and wrapped her arms around Sesshoumaru

"It is colder" Sango shivered. Even with Inuyasha's haori on she was still cold "How are you Rin? Shippo?" They were both wrapped up in one of Kagome's blankets and cuddled together

"We're fine" Shippo answered

"Just tired" Rin added with a yawn

"We won't be long" Sango smiled and turned back to face Inuyasha "I'm starving too"

"Same here, how's Kirara?" The neko found the cold had even got to her, she was currently in Sango's arms sleeping

"She's fine, an hour or two by the fire and she'll be back to her old self"

"Good"

"Prince Sesshoumaru how much further?" Jaken moaned "Me poor feet are freezing in all this snow. Me thinks they will fall off"

"Oh stop you're whimpering" Kagome huffed "You're in the same position as everyone else"

"Why you..." But he was cut off by Sesshoumaru's glare. Inuyasha too felt the cold on his feet and cursed under his breath, oh how he wished for the first time in his life that he wanted shoes. Finally the cave had come into sight, it was as far as they could see still uninhabited and free for their use.

"That looks better than the palace right now" Kagome moaned as she snuggled closer to Sesshoumaru

"Hn" Kagome bit back the urge to giggle at his very short reply. Eventually they arrived at the cave. Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha and Miroku quickly checked around and in it to make sure it was safe and then ushered the women, children, animals and Jaken inside.

"Finally" Kagome immediately started a fire and lay down beside it, she was completely exhausted

"Ne Kagome, don't go to sleep yet" Sango cooed "You need to eat first" Inuyasha then set the boxes out where everyone could help themselves.

"Alright" She sighed as she pushed herself into a sitting position, she then crawled over to the food which certainly amused Sesshoumaru and she dug in. Just as she finished a rice ball she turned to Sesshoumaru "Aren't you eating?"

"Foolish mortal, Prince Sesshoumaru and I do not eat human food" Jaken snorted "It is disgusting"

"Then go find ya own food" Kagome snapped at the imp. Sesshoumaru then kneeled down behind her and leaned into her ear

"I am simply not hungry Kagome, youkai can go a week without food" Kagome met his gaze and frowned

"I don't like that, I'll worry about you"

"That is perfectly normal" He mused as he kissed her cheek "I shall eat in the morning if it distresses you so" Kagome smiled and returned his kiss

"Thank you" She then turned back and finished her meal

"This is delicious" Inuyasha wolfed down "Your mom is an excellent cook"

"Glad you like it" Kagome smiled

"Give my thanks to your mother next time you see her Kagome" Miroku smiled

"No problem" Everyone were now finally full and the lunch boxes empty, Kagome and Sango crushed down the boxes down as cast them aside. Kagome then handed out blankets to everyone. She gave her sleeping bag to the children for the night as she got herself blanket and went to Sesshoumaru who was currently leaning up against the cave wall. She took her seats beside him and slipped her trainers off, she just couldn't sleep with shoes on. "Do you want your haori back?" But before he could answer Inuyasha let out an angered growl

"Inuyasha what's wrong?" Sango asked as she stood with her lover

"Kouga" He growled out "Sesshoumaru I suggest you get your sword ready to slice his head off, he'll try grabbing at Kagome" The young Prince then stood with Kagome standing beside him

"I know the wolf desires her" He stated as he slithered his arm around her waist and pulled her up against "Shame he won't have her" Kagome giggled like the school girl she was

"He's here" Suddenly a whirl wind landed in front of them to reveal the young leader of the demon wolf tribe

"Hey" He grinned

"Hey yourself" Inuyasha growled "What do ya want ya mangy wolf?"

"I'm here to see Kagome, mutt face. What else?" Kouga growled back as he clenched his fist. Rin looked at the wolf and gasped

"What's wrong Rin?" Shippo asked as she hid behind AhUn

"H-his wolves k-killed me" She whimpered

"Awe Rin" Kagome moved to go to the infant but found Sesshoumaru had a death grip on her, he refused to release her with Kouga there

"Kagome" Kouga then frowned when he saw Sesshoumaru holding the miko "Hey who are you? What are you doing holding Kagome?"

"Who I am is none of your business wolf" Sesshoumaru replied simply

"You reek of Inuyasha"

"Well that's because he's my brother" Inuyasha huffed "Ya stupid wolf" Kouga ignored his last comment

"So you're Inuyasha's brother, except you're not a half demon" He then growled "I could care less who you are, just release my Kagome this instant?"

"Your Kagome?" Sesshoumaru could feel his patience beginning to slip

"Yes my Kagome, she's my woman" Kouga snapped "We're to be mates"

"You're mistaken wolf" Sesshoumaru frowned "Kagome is my woman" Kagome blushed at this causing Sango to giggle. He then brushed the hair from Kagome's neck to reveal the courting mark "She's mine" He stated with dominance

"How dare you mark her" Kouga cracked his knuckles "Kagome is my intended, I won't let you take her away from me"

"Do you honestly wish for your death wolf?" Sesshoumaru raised his claws "Because if you try to lay a finger on her I'll rip your head off" His grip slackened on Kagome, she quickly pulled out of his hold and stood in between them

"Please don't fight. We don't need allies becoming enemies at a time like this" Kouga then grabbed Kagome's wrist and pulled her into his arms

"Don't worry Kagome I'll protect you from that mutt"

"What? Did you just listen to me?" But before he could reply Kouga found himself pinned to the wall with Sesshoumaru's claws around his throat "Sessh..."

"I told you not to touch what is mine" Sesshoumaru growled his eyes a mixture of gold and red "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you"

"No Sesshoumaru" Kagome ran up behind him and placed her hand on his arm "This is exactly what Naraku wants you to do. Please we need all the help we can get" Sesshoumaru growled but released Kouga. The wolf clenched his neck as he tried to regain his breathing "Thank you" She smiled up at him. She then turned to Kouga "Kouga what Sesshoumaru says is true. We're courting"

"But why? I've offered you everything" He gasped

"And I'm grateful, I truly am. But the truth is I only like you as a friend, you're very dear to me and the last thing I want to see is you getting killed over me. I'm sorry Kouga but my heart belongs to Sesshoumaru"

"I-I understand" He coughed

"Will you travel with us for now? We believe Naraku is here seeking your jewel shards, it would be wise if we all stayed together"

"Yeah I'll stay, but tomorrow I suggest we move to my den where we can plan our attack"

"Feh fine, but make sure none of ya wolves touch my woman" Inuyasha warned as he wrapped a protective arm around Sango

"And you do not lay a finger on mine" Sesshoumaru added as he snaked his arm around Kagome's waist

"Fine" Kouga then stood and moved to sit by Miroku. Sango then tucked both of the children in Kagome's sleeping bag beside AhUn

"Are you alright Rin?" She asked

"Y-yes" She breathed "That wolf won't hurt me, r-right?"

"Feh if that mangy wolf touches ya I'll slaughter him" Inuyasha...comforted? Rin nodded and cuddled up to Shippo, soon the children were fast asleep. Sesshoumaru sat against the wall once again as Kagome took her place beside him, his eyes had only just returned to their golden shade and he pulled Kagome possessively against him

"I need to change into my pyjamas" The little miko whispered "Where can I go where I'll get some privacy?"

"Go get your clothing" Kagome nodded and went to her pack, she pulled out her pyjamas as Sesshoumaru stood. He then slithered his hand around her waist and took her past Kouga and deeper into the cave. The couple could still be seen but the young Prince stood in front of the miko so the damned wolf couldn't see anything "Get changed"

"Uh, Sesshoumaru I know we're together and all but I don't exactly feel comfortable about changing in front of you" Kagome timidly muttered as a blush tinted her cheeks

"I won't look, I assure you" Sesshoumaru then leaned down and brushed his lips against hers "Don't you trust me?"

"You know I do" Kagome returned the kiss and pulled off her top, Sesshoumaru immediately averted his gaze as she dropped her skirt. He heard a breath hitch and moved to see Kouga turn his head away. The young Prince growled slightly just as Kagome pulled her PJ bottoms on "What is it?"

"The wolf" He turned his gaze back to her and found she was only in her bottoms and bra

"Oops" She then grabbed her PJ t-shirt and slipped it on. It hugged her figure perfectly making her look even more beautiful. Sesshoumaru then wrapped his arms around her and pulled her up against him

"Beautiful" He breathed as he leaned down and captured her lips, her arms immediately snaked around his neck as she moaned into his kiss. This caused everyone to look up and either smirk or scowl in utter jealousy – Kouga and Jaken. He pulled her even closer against him so that their bodies were pressed up against each other

"Sessh..." She broke the kiss as the need for oxygen took over her. His pride got the best of him when he found that she was panting hard "I do believe we should continue this another time, in private"

"I have no objections" He mused as he released her. Kagome then picked up her pack as they walked back over to their previous spot, she then dropped her bag on the floor and retook her seat. Sesshoumaru naturally took his place next to her as his miko dug through her bag once again. She pulled out his outer haori and handed it to him. He then wrapped it around her shoulders and pulled her to lay in his lap. She then grabbed her discarded blanket from the floor and threw it over her legs

"Are you cold?" She yawned as she looked up at him from his lap

"No" He settled his arm over her waist as he used the other to caress her ebony locks "Sleep, we have a busy day tomorrow" She gave a tired nod and cuddled closer to him. Soon sleep took over her causing her hands to unconsciously wrapped around his waist

"Heh they're both as bad as each other" Inuyasha mused. Sesshoumaru looked over to his little brother to find Sango fast asleep mirroring Kagome exactly "Lucky aren't we"

"I've never seen you so protective of someone, not even when you loved Kagome" The young Prince mused

"I don't to lose her" Inuyasha replied as he caressed Sango's cheek "I won't allow anything more pain come to her" Miroku tried to ignore the hanyou's words by laying down by AhUn and attempt to sleep. Kouga's gaze was stuck on the sleeping Kagome and how he envied the young Prince. He would do anything to hold the little miko like that. He let out a disappointed sigh and lay down to catch a few winks before sunrise.

"How persistent is the wolf?" Sesshoumaru asked when he was sure Kouga was asleep

"Very" Inuyasha sighed "Kagome would drop hints to say she wasn't interested, she even had Sango drag Kouga off once to tell him that she wanted him to back off. But obviously the mangy wolf wouldn't listen"

"The idiot had the nerve to touch her today, if he tries so again I won't hesitate to kill him. I could care less about allies"

"Ya realize Kagome would be dead set against you doing that? She still cherishes Kouga as a close friend and would be devastated if he perished. Why do ya think I haven't kill him?"

"If my beast takes over and he's touched her I won't be able to stop myself from killing him. I would most probably end up claiming Kagome as my mate" Sesshoumaru explained "The same would naturally happen to you if the demon slayer was in Kagome's place"

"Ya know you gotta stop calling her 'the demon slayer', Kagome will end up ripping ya head off. After all she could be your sister in time"

"It is a habit Inuyasha, you should know I do not mean offence"

"Like the same habit of not showing your emotions?" Inuyasha challenged

"Yes" He sighed not really wanting to fight "If you were brought up by my mother then you would know why I act like this. It is not something I can turn off over night Inuyasha. Kagome know this and is being patient. Your mother most probably raised you to express your emotions by being nice, charming and open. Father and my mother raised me as a Prince more than a son, duty came before love"

"Sesshoumaru..." Inuyasha couldn't believe his brother was being so open "I guessed your mother had those traits, but dad? I always assumed he was some powerful, feared daiyoukai but was also very caring. Especially to you"

"He was when it was just us but my mother always interfered. She has changed so much now though. Father was caring and loving Inuyasha, he did all the necessary things such as protect, nurture, love and care yet his duties as King always made things complicated. That's why when I was of age he turned rather cold and only focused on me when it came to training. During that time he's met your mother, he still remained with mine for a short while but soon cast her out when he fell for yours. You are lucky to have been born later, and dare I say it, you are lucky that father is dead. He would have been hard on you to train ten times more than he did I, you are a hanyou so he would see that as a weakness. He'd know how much danger your life would be and would be bent on making you as strong as himself. I believe that is why he passed Tetsusaiga on to you"

"I guess" Inuyasha shrugged, still taking in all the information "If you and Kagome end up mating and having pups will you be hard on them like dad was with you?"

"No" He then smirked "Even if I desired to do you honestly believe Kagome would let me? She is quite the little vixen, she'd kill me"

"I know what ya mean, Sango would most probably have Kagome 'sit' me into a crater as she hit me with her Hirakotsu" Inuyasha mused "Women"

"Do you love her Inuyasha?"

"I haven't been with her long enough to love her but I'm getting there" He smiled "The bond I have with her is far more stronger than the one I had with Kikyo. What about you with Kagome? Do you love her?"

"I've always liked her, even when she travelled with you" He admitted "She amused me when she stood up to me, she had guts. I always desired her and that desire grew back at the palace. But like you said Inuyasha, I haven't been with her long enough to love her. But I feel for her deeply" The young hanyou nodded and yawned

"They'll be the end of us" He lay down and pulled Sango to lay on his chest "Can't live with 'em can't live without 'em"

**Well here's the next chapter**

**Hope you enjoyed it**

**Reviews :)**

**Inuyashasesshy4eva**

**xXx**


	11. A Sinister Attack

Chapter Eleven – A Sinister Attack

The sun shone brightly through the cave rudely awakening all who was sleeping inside. Kagome groaned loudly as she snuggled closer into Sesshoumaru's chest. She so didn't want to get up yet, she was content where she was "Gee and she calls me lazy" Inuyasha snorted

"Hmph" She muffled trying her best to ignore the hanyou

"Kagome get ya butt up so we can go already"

"Leave her by Inuyasha" Sesshoumaru ordered "She shall get up when she's ready"

"Feh she'll sleep all day if ya let her" He groaned "Ya gotta be more disciplined with ya woman Sesshoumaru"

"Excuse me?!" Kagome sat up just in time to see Sango smash her Hirakotsu into Inuyasha's head "Inuyasha how could you say that? You jerk!" The slayer then stormed out of the cave with Kirara following

"SIT!" Inuyasha smashed right into the ground as Kagome stood "You unfeeling creep" She then went to seek out her friend. She found her sitting on a rock to the left of the cave, she sounding almost animal with the way she was growling "Sango" Kagome approached her friend and took a seat next to her "Are you okay?"

"He's such a jerk" She thumped the boulder she was sitting upon "How could he think so lowly of women?"

"He doesn't really" Kagome reassured as she took a seat next to her "He was just being impatient. You know what he's like"

"Well I'm not going anywhere near him until I get a full on apology" She huffed

Inuyasha pulled himself out of the crater and rubbed his head "Gee what's her problem? What did I do to deserve that?"

"Perhaps it was the matter of thinking lowly of women" Sesshoumaru replied as he stood "If you're smart you'd apologize to the demon slayer"

"Feh I'm not apologizing, I didn't do anything" Just as he said this the girls and Kirara re-entered the cave completely ignoring Inuyasha "Hey Sango..." But he immediately stopped when he saw the fire in her eyes. Sango went about beginning breakfast whereas Kagome went over to Sesshoumaru and pulled his haori from her shoulders

"Thank you" She handed him his haori and he put it on. He then stood and wrapped his arms around her waist

"Your welcome" He then leaned down and captured her lips with his, Kouga made and inaudible growl and turned his gaze away. Inuyasha attempted to near Sango but was pushed back by Kirara, Miroku was certainly loving this. Kagome then pulled away from Sesshoumaru who then left the cave for some fresh air whereas she helped Sango prepare breakfast. They had made some boiled rice for now since everybody wanted to leave soon, they were currently filling the last bowl when Sango turned to Kagome

"Do you have any rat poison to add to this one?" Inuyasha's ears drooped as he pouted, Sango sure was angry at him. Kagome gave a small giggle as she lifted her own bowl and another and left the cave to find Sesshoumaru. She found him sitting on the boulder that Sango was on earlier and walked over to him. The young Prince looked up to find Kagome holding a bowl out to him

"You promised you'd eat this morning" She smiled innocently

"Indeed I did" He took the bowl and chopsticks from her and pulled her to sit beside him "Did you sleep well?"

"Of course" She winked as she took a mouthful of rice. Sesshoumaru let a small smile grace his lips as he followed suit.

It wasn't long before they both had finished their breakfast and were just casually chatting "What are your plans when we've finally defeated Naraku?"

"I shall have to return to the palace and help my mother rule over the kingdom until I am old enough to take over the throne" The young Prince replied as he gazed at the snow melting from the forest in front of them "I shall then have to take a mate"

"A youkai mate?" Sesshoumaru then wrapped his free arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his embrace

"Any mate I desire, youkai, hanyou or human it doesn't matter" Kagome blushed slightly "If you are still with me when all that is over I would like to have you, if you'll have me"

"Sesshoumaru..." She smiled softly "You would want me? To have your children? To be yours forever?" He met her gaze and nodded "But...how can you say that now? We haven't been together long at all, I know you don't love me so how can you already think that?"

"I am sure you don't love me either...yet" He smirked "I am certain our relationship will grow, I feel deeply for you. You have no idea how hard it is to control my beast when I'm around you. Like now for example"

"What do you mean?" She tilted her head cutely to the side in confusion

"It's mating season" This time Kagome blushed even redder making Sesshoumaru chuckle "I assure you I won't lay a finger on you"

"I know" She averted her gaze to the ground and fiddled with the bowl in her hands "It's just, I never knew you found me that attractive"

"Why wouldn't I?" He leaned down and kissed the courting mark on her neck "I wouldn't be with you if I didn't desire you"

"Do you have to make me blush all the time?" She pouted as she lay her head against his

"I only speak the truth to you, it is not my fault if you're too modest"

"Then your words are very much appreciated" She then stood and took his bowl from him, as she did so Rin and Shippo ran out of the cave and over to them

"Kagome why is Sango being mean to Inuyasha?" Rin innocently asked

"Because he was being mean to her darling" Kagome replied with a small smile "Now come on let's pack up and get ready to go"

"Okay" Both the children then ran back into the cave with Sesshoumaru and Kagome following. Once inside they found Inuyasha and Sango sitting opposite each other at either side of the cave with everything packed up. The atmosphere was so thick it could be sliced through with a blade

"Uh...I'll just pack up and we'll leave" Kagome then quickly ran to her pack and threw the bowls in, AhUn then pulled her pack into its mouth as Kagome retrieved her bow and arrow

"Keh about time" Inuyasha huffed as he stood "Come on then ya mangy wolf, take us to ya cave so we can begin our plans"

"Don't order me around mutt face" Just to annoy Inuyasha, Kouga walked over to Sango, took her hand and pulled her to her feet "Sango" He grinned. Inuyasha then threw Kouga back and stood in between his woman and the wolf

"Don't touch my girl ya stinking wolf" He growled, his hand on Tetsusaiga's hilt

"Inuyasha don't you dare" Kagome warned "And Kouga stop teasing him"

"Anything for you Kagome" Kouga bowed with a flirty smile on his face. Sesshoumaru gave a short growl as he wrapped his arm around Kagome's shoulders

"We're going" Everyone then grabbed what they needed and followed the young Prince without another word.

During the journey Kouga lead the group; Sesshoumaru and Kagome were behind him; Miroku was right at the back with the children, AhUn and Jaken; Inuyasha was walking in front of them and Sango was at Kagome's side with Kirara on her shoulder. Inuyasha's puppy ears drooped as he sighed, Sango still wasn't talking to him. How could she take one of _his _comments so seriously? It was him for crying out loud. And then Kouga had to butt in and try to woo him woman just to get on his nerves. It would seem that Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha would soon be fighting over who was to kill the cocky wolf. "Not far now" Kouga called back to the group

"I haven't been here since..." But then Kagome trailed off, she knew Sesshoumaru would flip if she brought it up

"Since?" He raised a silken brow

"Don't worry about it" She brushed off

"Wait" Kouga turned with a grin on his face "Are you saying you haven't been here since I brought you here? The first day we met?"

"Uh huh" She mumbled "Memories"

"Yeah, uh...sorry about that. I shouldn't have thrown you over my shoulder and ran off with you. You must have been very uncomfortable being carried that way" He winked and turned back around. Kagome heard Sesshoumaru's knuckles cracked and winced _'Kouga he will kill you for god's sake' _She mentally groaned. The cave had just came into sight when everyone caught sight of Kagome's left and right hand men; Ginta and Hakkaku run up to them covered in blood "What happened to you idiots?"

"Kouga..." Ginta panted

"It's...the...cave" Hakkaku gasped "Kagura...is killing...everyone..."

"WHAT?!" Kouga then sped off toward his home abnormally fast

"Are you two alright?" Kagome asked as she ran to the young wolves sides

"We're alright"

"Thank you for asking"

"Kirara you stay here with Ginta, Hakkaku and the children" Sango ordered

"That goes for you too Jaken, AhUn" Sesshoumaru ordered as he lifted Kagome bridal style and sped off after the angered wolf. Kirara jumped off Sango's shoulder just as Inuyasha threw the demon slayer on his back – much to her disapproval – and followed his brother. Miroku groaned loudly and followed with his own abnormal human speed.

When the gang had arrived at the cave they found everything covered in blood, the blood that belonged to all the wolves, females and even cubs. Kouga's eyes were wide as he stared over his bloodied family and friends "No..."

"Yes" His gaze shifted to find Kagura and Naraku step out of the shadows "Kouga, are you angered that we slaughtered your family?" Naraku laughed

"I'll kill you!!!" Kouga roared as he dived at the dark hanyou

"Kouga no" Kagome shouted as Sesshoumaru set her on her feet. Naraku laughed menacingly as he restrained the wolf with his tentacles as Kagura went for the shards in his legs

"I don't think so, WIND SCAR" Inuyasha shouted as he attacked the wind sorceress

"Fool" She laughed as a barrier appeared around them. Kouga let out an agonizing scream as Kagura pulled out the first shard

"KOUGA" Kagome shot one of her sacred arrows that passed straight through the barrier and collided with the sorceresses arm. Kagura retorted in pain as she pulled the arrow from her arm before it could purify her completely

"You interfering wench. DANCE OF BLADES" Sesshoumaru immediately moved in front of the miko and raised his sword

"Dragon strike" Bolts of lightning shot out of his blade and towards Kagura who had foolishly moved from the barrier's protection. She screamed in utter fear as she was hit by the Prince's attack, unfortunately though Naraku held her heart so she didn't die. Just merely unconscious. Naraku pulled the shard from her kimono as another of his tentacles moved to Kouga's leg

"I don't think so" Kagome moved out of Sesshoumaru's protection and shot an arrow straight at the dark hanyou. Just like last time it went straight through but didn't pierce him, instead it shot back out of the barrier and hit Inuyasha in the shoulder. The hanyou fell to the ground howling in pain and the arrow began to purify him

"INUYASHA" Both the girls screamed. Kagome ran straight to his side and pulled the arrow from his shoulder, Inuyasha immediately fell unconscious as Sango grasped his hand "Inuyasha" She whimpered

"So Sango you have fallen for the lovesick hanyou" Naraku laughed as he extracted the shard from Kouga's leg and threw him into the wall

"Go to hell Naraku" She snapped as tears streamed down her cheeks

"He won't get away with it" Kagome shouted as she stood and reached for another arrow. Naraku saw this and sprung his tentacles out and wrapped them around her wrists, ankles and waist. Before Sesshoumaru or anyone could move to her aid Naraku had pulled her into the safety of his barrier "Sesshoumaru"

"Release her!" Sesshoumaru growled

"Oh, and why should I?" Naraku pulled Kagome just to linger just inches from his very body. He reached out and grasped her throat "You are quite a beauty, you definitely surpass Kikyo"

"Go to hell" She spat "You're just sick and twisted"

"Hmm" He smirked as he pulled her closer and used his free hand to roam her body a little "You have a great figure too"

"Don't touch her half breed!" Sesshoumaru's eyes began to flash from gold to crimson repeatedly. Naraku moved his fingers on her neck slightly to reveal the courting mark

"Ah I see, the mighty Prince Sesshoumaru has fallen for a mortal human girl, a miko if that" He then moved his gaze to Sesshoumaru "I now..." He pulled the vile of jewel shards from Kagome's neck "...have all of the jewel shards. Yes Sango your brother is dead" He grinned when she screamed in horror "I will release the miko on one condition"

"And what's that?" Sesshoumaru growled as he took a step forward

"I want the key" He smirked when he saw Sesshoumaru's features change to shock "Yes I know about it, hand it over or else"

"It is not an object" He stated with a clenched fist

"I see, then in that case..." He then applied pressure to Kagome's neck and stuck his tongue down her throat. Kagome let out a muffled scream as she tried to get away from him, her courting mark burned. Suddenly her spiritual powers flared up and began to purify the dark hanyou. Growling Naraku pulled away and shoved his claws through her gut

"KAGOME" Sesshoumaru shouted letting his emotions spill out. Naraku then threw her flying from his grasp and disappeared muttering a few words to Sesshoumaru

"You had your chance..." The young Prince immediately ran to Kagome's side and pulled her into his arms

"Kagome? Kagome?" He shook her uncontrollably "Kagome wake up! Please" Blood slowly spilled from her mouth as she lay motionless in his arms

"Kagome..." Everyone who was concious breathed in fear. The little miko's breathing came to a complete halt causing everyone to gasp, Kouga slowly awoke and gapped to find the woman he loved laying pale-faced and cold in the Prince's arms. Sesshoumaru gently lay her to the ground and unsheathed his Tenseiga, he stood and held it over her, waiting for the imps of the afterlife to appear. But they didn't. The sword didn't even pulse. No reaction what so ever.

"No..." He growled "Obey me dammit!" Nothing. Kagome was dead and there was nothing he could do about it...

**Dun dun dun!!!**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter**

**Reviews please :)**

**Inuyashasesshy4eva**

**xXx**


	12. Kagome

Chapter Twelve – Kagome

Sesshoumaru held Kagome in his grasp, shaking uncontrollably. Why? Why did she have to die? It wasn't supposed to end this way, she was supposed to be Naraku's end? How could have he been hers? The young Prince stood with his little miko in his arms. His eyes were a dull lifeless gold. Inuyasha had already regained consciousness and gapped at what he saw, his best friend was gone. He held Sango close as she sobbed whilst Miroku numbly went to Kouga's aid

"Kagome" Sango shook as she extended her hand to the young miko in Sesshoumaru's arms, she so desperately wanted to see her friend's sea-green eyes flutter open whilst that heart-warming smile graced her features. But it wouldn't happen. Inuyasha pulled Sango to his feet and approached his brother. He looked down at Kagome's cold, pale, lifeless form and let out a shaky breath

"W-what happened? How could Naraku manage this?"

"He desired something from me, I explained what he desired wasn't an object and so he killed Kagome before I could explain" Sesshoumaru's voice was ghostly "He had managed to pull her into his barrier before I could get to her"

"It's not your fault" Inuyasha placed his hand on his brother's shoulder "Don't you dare blame yourself" Sesshoumaru then pulled away from his brother's touch and headed to the cave's exit

"I suggest we give her a proper burial" Everyone gave a short nod and followed him out.

They returned to the children, Kirara, Ginta, Hakkaku, AhUn and Jaken who were all innocently going about their own business. Shippo and Rin were going to be devastated. How could they tell them that their surrogate mother was dead? Especially Shippo. Kagome was the mother he never had, and Rin. She would once again lose her mother.

Sango approached the children and kneeled in front of them and smiled sadly. They saw the tears streaming down her face and looked passed her to find Sesshoumaru cradling their mother "Sango is Kagome sleeping?" Rin asked

"Yes darling" She sniffled as she pulled them into her lap "Kagome is going to be sleeping for a long time"

"Sango please..." Tears began to stream down the kit's eyes "Don't tell me...she's dead" She then burst out crying

"I'm so sorry, both of you" Rin and Shippo were completely shocked. Suddenly they both began to scream as they buried themselves into the demon slayer

"NO" They cried. Sesshoumaru tried to block out their screams as he kept his gaze on the young woman in his arms. Her face still looked pained and it tore at him. Why hadn't he been fast enough?

Miroku handed Kouga over to Ginta and Hakkaku as he moved over to Inuyasha. He placed his hand on his shoulder and sighed "I'm so sorry Inuyasha, I know she meant more to you than anyone" Inuyasha's own hand reached back and grasped the monk's

"She was your friend as much as she was mine, but..." A tear slid down his eye "...she was like my little sister and she would have officially been if Naraku hadn't gotten hold of her" Anger then flared "I'LL KILL HIM"

"Not so fast Inuyasha" A feminine voice called. "Seek revenge when you're well" Everyone moved their distressed gazes to Jen's sympathetic ones. She looked up at Sesshoumaru and almost gasped. Her boy looked absolutely dead. His eyes held no life. He looked like the living dead. Had Kagome meant that much to him? "Sesshoumaru" She gave a small smile as she neared him "Lay Kagome down love"

"She will freeze" He muttered "The snow is cruel"

"Just do it son, trust me" Without any reply he lay her on the ground and kneeled beside her, Jen followed suit and sighed "I'm going to be in so much trouble, I hope you appreciate what I'm about to do for you Sesshoumaru Taisho. Don't think I can do this again" She then pulled a pendent from her neck and placed it over Kagome's "You see this pendent my son, it is one of the many gateways to hell. Believe it or not your father thought it would be a romantic anniversary present. Kagome's soul has been dragged down to hell, I can feel the fear and pain she's going through. I shall grant you this wish Sesshoumaru" The pendent then erupted in a deep purple as a glowing white light shot up from it and flew into the young miko. Jen then removed the pendent and placed it back around her own neck "I'll expect a thank you later" Sesshoumaru looked from his mother to Kagome confused. But that was soon replaced by shock when the little miko's eyes shot open as she heaved for air, she flew up into a sitting position as Sesshoumaru caught her. He looked over her to find the wound in her gut was gone, colour was returning to her cheek as was the life in her eyes

"Sesshoumaru?" She reached out a shaky hand and placed it on his face "A-are you real? Are you d-dead?"

"I'm real" He breathed as he caught her hand on his cheek "And you're alive" Her eyes widened as tears streamed down her cheeks

"I was so afraid" She dived onto him causing him to fall onto his behind, but he didn't care. He had her back and that was all that mattered "The last thing I remembered was you shouting my name and then darkness. I was attacked by all these shadow creatures and they laughed at my pain, they said I'd never know happiness again. I never want to return to that hell hole"

"Kagome..." Sesshoumaru sighed in relief as he held her close "I promise that you'll never return there ever again" He then met his mother's smiling face "Thank you"

"It's a mother's job to spoil her children" She winked "And this mother wants grandchildren, just thought I'd tell you if you're thinking of repaying me" Kagome then turned to her

"You brought me back?" She nodded "Thank you so much Jen" She whimpered forgetting formalities "My life if yours"

"Don't worry about it" She smirked as she stood "But you must know that I cannot do such a thing again, the gods will be angered that I have done this as it is" Sesshoumaru lifted Kagome as he stood

"Mother why is it that Tenseiga did not work for me?"

"I'm not sure, there are many possibilities to that. I believe it is either that her spiritual powers rejected your youki _or _your father was trying to teach you some ridiculous lesson. He said that one of your lessons was to feel loss, pain and grief for the person you loved. And if that is the case when I pass on I'll give him a piece of my mind. Now I suggest you all go somewhere to rest for the day, travelling in your condition you'll all pass out" She then transformed into her full youkai self "Look after each other" She then took to the sky and headed back to the palace

"How did her highness know what happened?" Jaken questioned

"Who cares?" Inuyasha grinned as he pulled Kagome from Sesshoumaru and into his arms "As long as I have my best friend back I could care less"

"Inuyasha" Kagome returned the embrace just as Miroku dived on them both "Miroku" She sighed contently as her friends competed to hug her. Soon though she had to push them away for air, that was when Rin and Shippo dived on her giggling and crying in one "Shippo, Rin"

"Kagome" They both grinned as they clutched to her "We thought we lost you"

"I'm sorry if I scared you" She then set them on their feet. She then looked up to find Sango on her knees staring at her in disbelief. Kagome kneeled in front of her and smiled "What, don't I get a hug?"

"Thank goodness" Sango sobbed as she wrapped her arms around her friend "You're like a sister to me Kagome, I couldn't stand to lose another family member to Naraku. He's even killed Kohaku now"

"Oh Sango" Kagome immediately returned the hug "I'm really really sorry"

"Don't be" She sniffled as she pushed away "At least he is at peace and away from Naraku's control. Naraku won't get away so easily though" She then thumped the ground "He'll pay for this"

"He'll pay for everything" They both then stood. Kouga struggled to his feet and limped over to the miko

"Thank Buddha you're alive, I couldn't live knowing you were gone from this world" He wrapped an arm around her and innocently kissed her cheek "Just don't scare us like that again"

"Well I'll try" She mused "But I think you need to get off your feet"

"You're right" He smiled as Ginta and Hakkaku threw his arms over their shoulders to support him "I think we could all do with some rest though, especially you"

"Yes we should leave as soon as possible. Sessh..." But she was stopped by Sesshoumaru's lips pressing hard against hers. His grip was tight on her shoulders as if he were never to let go. He pulled away for breath as she wrapped her arms around his waist. He buried his head into the crook of her neck and inhaled her sweet scent

"I thought I lost you, don't do that to me ever again" He breathed as he kissed her courting mark "You mean so much to me"

"Sesshoumaru..." She pulled back to see his face as she captured his lips in a tender loving kiss. Sango smiled warmly at them as Inuyasha wrapped his arm around her shoulder and kissed her forehead

"I'll forgive you for that sexist comment from earlier Inuyasha, but that is only because I'm afraid of losing you" She explained

"I'm not going anywhere baby" He too then leaned down and captured her lips

"Eww" Shippo groaned "Could you all stop the kissing so we can go somewhere out of the cold?" Kagome pulled away from Sesshoumaru and giggled

"Sure, but where? The cave is not warm enough and it's not very well guarded"

"There is a village not too far from here. It is inhabited with hanyou, youkai and humans by my father's will. We should stay there for the rest of the day"

"Why did dad have one of those in the Eastern Lands?" Inuyasha asked

"He has at least one village with all species in all of his lands" Sesshoumaru replied as he lifted Kagome bridal style into his arms "The village is an hour away if we fly, I suggest we get there as soon as possible"

"Got ya" Sango and Inuyasha then climbed onto Kirara "Yo Miroku you ride with Rin and the imp on AhUn and Shippo you transform and carry the stinking wolves" They both nodded and did as told. Once everyone was ready they all took to the sky

"Did I miss something?" Kagome asked as she looked back at Inuyasha and Miroku "They seem to be getting on"

"It would seem your passing had brought them back together" Sesshoumaru replied with a slight smirk "It would seem you have that influence over people"

"Even you?" She asked as she wrapped her arms playfully around his neck

"Even me" He pecked her lips "When we arrive at the village there will be a small mansion there reserved for the royal family so we shall all spend our time there"

"That better not be full of women and sake"

"It's not a whore house" He smirked "The only people who enter there are the servants, and they are only there once a month to clean the place"

"So we will all have privacy when we get there?" He nodded "Are you sure you can handle not being waited on hand and foot?" She giggled

"I'm sure I can manage one night" He replied with a hint on humour in those golden eyes. Inuyasha overheard this and grinned, he wrapped his arms around Sango's waist and kissed her cheek

"Did ya hear that? Sesshoumaru just said that we'll all be in this mansion tonight where we will all get privacy, there aren't even any servants there"

"Well that will be cosy" Sango replied with a smirk "I'd like to personally tend to your wounds from today"

"By all means you can" He replied with the same playful time "Sesshoumaru how long?" Sango laughed at his impatience

"Another 45 minutes yet little brother" Sesshoumaru called back as he kept his gaze forward "Why the lack of patience?"

"He's always impatient" Kagome mused

"I would just like some privacy" He replied

"Umm Prince Sesshoumaru are there any women serving sake there?" The lecherous monk was back alright

"Yes there is a tea house there"

"More like a whore house" Kagome muttered "And you're not going there Sesshoumaru"

"I don't find dancing drunken whores my thing"

"Gee what's wrong with ya" Inuyasha called but soon regretted it when he received a slap from Sango "Sorry"

"He never learns" Kagome sighed...

After what seemed forever...to Inuyasha they arrived outside the village. The path that led inside was guarded, it would seem that this village didn't welcome just anyone. Sesshoumaru walked up to one of the guards. Kagome naturally was at his side as he approached them. The guard bowed lowly to the Prince and smiled "Prince Sesshoumaru it is good to see you again my lord, it has been far too long since you blessed this village with your presence"

"I trust everything here is in order"

"Yes of course your highness" The guard then stood upright "Would you like me to take you to the headman Kenji? I'm sure he will make you welcome and see to your every needs"

"That will not be necessary. Just allow myself and my companions to enter" The guard nodded and stepped aside. The group then entered the village where they found everyone's eyes were on them

"What are they staring at?" Kagome whispered

"Inuyasha and I _are_ the Princes of Japan" Sesshoumaru mused "This village was created for by my father so it is an honour to them to have a member of the royal family here" A neko youkai with long green hair and violet eyes who wore a kimono of wealth stepped forward and bowed

"Prince Sesshoumaru it is such an honour to have you here. What can I Kenji, your humble servant do for you?"

"I trust the mansion is free?"

"Of course your highness. The servants cleaned it again yesterday, you've come at a good time. Do you wish for any servants do be there?" The Prince shook his head "How about some women to keep you and your male companions entertained?"

"No, that is all" Kenji bowed once again and stepped back

"Allow his highness through and do not pester him on his stay" Kenji then kicked a hanyou child out of the way

"Hey what's your problem?" Kagome snapped at him as she kneeled down by the fallen hanyou "Are you alright sweetie?" The young child nodded and bowed her head to her

"Please don't touch me milady, I am a filthy half breed"

"Don't be silly" Kagome smiled as she pulled the child to stand "There's is nothing disgusting about a hanyou, you're a very beautiful young girl"

"Thank you milady" The hanyou bowed "My name is Sakura"

"Well it's nice to meet you Sakura, my name's Kagome" Sesshoumaru then walked over to where Kagome kneeled and turned to Kenji

"Why does this child think so lowly of herself? My father wanted this village to be a peaceful place for youkai, humans and hanyous"

"She is an orphan milord, her parents were hung for stealing from the market" Kenji explained "She now works for me in the headman's house. She is my delivery girl. I thought it was the noble thing to do at the time"

"Don't you think the noble thing would have been to adopt her?" Kagome frowned "How old are you Sakura?"

"10 summers, milady"

"10 years old and is forced to be a slave"

"Who would want to adopt a thieves' daughter?"

"Who gave you permission to execute them?" Sesshoumaru asked with a raised silken brow "I certainly didn't instruct it and I doubt my mother would have either"

"It happened so fast milord, we were so angry that we just killed them without asking for your permission"

"That was very foolish of you, do not make the same mistake again Kenji. You may find yourself banished from here or replaced"

"A thousand apologies Prince Sesshoumaru" Kagome looked over Sakura properly to see that her kimono was torn and she was covered in cuts and bruises

"Do you beat her all the time or something? And you surely don't take care of her, her kimono is completely worn" She snapped

"You wouldn't understand, you're a woman, a human woman" Kenji snapped back

"Kenji do not speak lowly to who could be your future Princess" Sesshoumaru warned "Now I suggest you take care of that child properly or find her a decent family who will" A middle aged human woman then took a step forward and bowed

"Now that I have recovered from an illness I would be more than happy to take the child into my care. My husband is a youkai and we have hanyou children, Sakura would be more than welcome with us"

"Really?" Sakura beamed "Thank you ever so much Nami" She then bowed to Kagome "Thank you as well milady, you're the only outsider I have ever met who doesn't resent hanyous"

"Well I think hanyous are the cutest things" Kagome smiled as she playfully pinched Sakura's neko ears "Why should your kind be singled out because a human and a youkai fell in love with each other" She then kissed her head and gently pushed her over to Nami

"If there are any more problems like this here then I would like to be informed as soon as possible" Sesshoumaru stated to the village as he took Kagome's hand and pulled her to her feet "You know where I'll be" He then led Kagome and his companions to the small mansion in the heart of the village.

When they entered they all pretty much collapsed on all the soft cushions and couches "Man this is the life" Inuyasha sighed contently as he threw Tetsusaiga into a corner "Yo Sesshoumaru is there a hot spring here"

"Yes it is in the private garden out the back" He replied as he set his own swords down on a table

"I'm having one first" Kagome insisted "I'm covered in blood"

"Awe but Kags" Inuyasha groaned "So am I just not to your extent, Naraku knocked me unconscious and I somehow managed to scrap all my side. And I was almost purified"

"Yeah you think that's a big deal mutt?" Kouga huffed "I've got two bloody holes in my legs"

"They should really be seen to" Kagome replied as she took her pack from AhUn and pulled out her first aid kit "I'll treat them before you lose too much blood"

"You don't need to worry about me Kagome" Kouga smiled as she kneeled in front of him "I'm sure you need your rest too"

"I'm alright" She smiled genuinely "I just really want a bath" She then went about bandaging the wolf up

"Come on Inuyasha let's sort that shoulder out" Sango said as she also pulled some bandages from Kagome's pack "Take your haori off"

"This is just an excuse isn't it" The hanyou teased as he pulled off his outer and inner haori causing Sango to blush "Keh"

"You're so cocky" She then sat beside his wounded shoulder and began to bandage him up "Tell me if I pull to tight" As Sango was seeing to Inuyasha, Kagome finished up on Kouga and stood

"Just take it easy ok, don't try to move around much. Give your legs time to heal" She warned

"No problem" Kouga grinned as he stretched and placed his arms behind his head. Kagome rolled her eyes and set her pack out of the way. She then pulled out a towel and her bathing suit

"I'm going for a bath" She moved to Sesshoumaru "Where can I change into these?"

"Here" He then wrapped an arm around her shoulder and led her off to a bedroom "This is my room so feel free to use it" Kagome jumped onto the bed and set her things down

"Don't you want to bathe?" Sesshoumaru raised a brow as he looked at her amused

"You wish me to bathe with you Kagome?" Kagome blushed and nodded

"As long as you don't go in fully naked"

"In an outdoor hot spring it is accustomed to wear a towel so that no prying eyes sees anything" He smirked "I shall meet you out there in a moment" He then kissed her cheek and left. Kagome then quickly changed into her white bikini and wrapped her towel around herself. She then re-entered the room where she had last left everyone to find they were all still there. Inuyasha looked up at her and grinned

"So you and Sesshoumaru are gonna have a bath together? Try to keep the noises down"

"Same goes for you when you two go for one" She giggled "Sango make sure he doesn't make too much noise"

"Sure" Sango laughed "I'll gag him" She winked

"Well have fun with that" Kagome smirked "See you later" She then left the sitting room and out to the secluded garden where she found Sesshoumaru already awaiting her in the hot spring "Did you have to tell Inuyasha that we were going to bathe together?"

"Was there a problem? I just merely told him so that he wouldn't disturb us"

"Well he was teasing me" She pouted as she pulled her towel off and made her way into the spring. Sesshoumaru looked at what she was wearing and smirked

"Is that what you women wear in your time when you bathe?"

"No it is when we go swimming, we bathe naked back home like you lot do now" She laughed

"And you just flaunt your body off?" He asked as she walked over to him

"Not really" She shrugged "I just wear this to cover all the personal stuff" When she was close enough Sesshoumaru took her hand and pulled her into his lap. He ran his claws gently across her stomach

"Not even a scratch on you"

"Nope just some dried blood" She mused "Where are all the bath oils?" Sesshoumaru then reached out and grasped one from behind him. He flipped the lid open and inhaled the lavender scent, yes this one would do perfectly. He then poured some onto his hands and began to rub them over Kagome's arms and stomach "You know I can do that myself"

"Hn" He smirked "I have excuse to touch you now"

"You don't need an excuse" She then quickly rinsed herself off and straddled his hips "I never want to leave your side again"

"Nor do I" He then wrapped his arms around her waist as she leaned forward and captured his lips. He then deepened the kiss as he pulled her closer so that their bodies were pressed up against each other. Kagome let out a moan which gave Sesshoumaru the opportunity to slide his tongue into her mouth, she then wrapped her arms around his neck and let his hands wander up and around her body. He then pulled away from her lips and began to kiss down her neck

"Sessh..." She breathed as she arched into his touch. He stopped when he reached the cloth of her bikini and sat back to admire the woman in front of him, she had let out a moan of protest when he stopped causing him to almost grin uncontrollably

"Don't worry my little miko" He kissed her forehead "If you wish it we shall continue this tonight"

"I might take you up on that offer" She winked "We do after all have to repay your mother"

"Since when did you turn naughty?" He mused "Whatever happened to the innocent Kagome I know?"

"Perhaps her death today opened her eyes a little" She replied as she lay her head on his bare chest "Life's too short to dawdle"

"But it is long enough to take some time" He began to run his fingers through her ebony locks "Don't feel as if you have to do such things if you don't feel ready, your life will be a long one Kagome, I shall see to it"

"Yes but Naraku could attack us at any moment, I don't want to wait around until it's too late"

"I understand where you're coming from but you shouldn't force yourself into anything"

"I'm not" She then looked up into his eyes "I want to be with you Sesshoumaru, when I was ripped away from you today it opened my eyes to how up I really...love you"

"Love me?" He smiled softly as he leaned down and captured her lips "If love is when I would gladly give my life for yours then I must feel the same way" Kagome let out a giggle and cuddled close to her lover

"Then soon, could you take me as yours?"

"You read my mind" He smirked "What you then eventually become my mate?"

"Be your Princess?" He nodded "I'd like that"

"And what of bearing my pups?"

"Well I might get pregnant soon anyway so sure" She shrugged "Come on then, I just want to change into my PJs and cuddle up" She then stood and hopped out of the hot spring. Sesshoumaru followed suit and wrapped a robe around himself, Kagome did the same with her towel and they returned to the warmth of the mansion. Once inside Sesshoumaru went off to his room to get changed whereas Kagome went to the sitting room and to her pack

"So did you have fun?" Inuyasha asked

"Awesome" She winked as she pulled out her PJs and some fresh underwear "And it's all yours now"

"Great" Inuyasha then stood and lifted Sango bridal style "Come along then"

"Yash we need to change into some towels first" Sango scolded as he set her back down "Come on" She sighed as she caught his hand and dragged him off. Kagome then turned to the rest of the gang

"I'll just get changed and I'll prepare some food for us"

"I'll prepare it Kagome" Miroku smiled

"I'd take you up on that offer but let's face it Miroku, you burn everything" She laughed

"True" He grinned "Kouga, Ginta, Hakkaku are you three up to a little visit to the tea house later?"

"Why not?" Kouga shrugged

"Just make sure you help him there" Kagome warned the two other wolves "We don't want him even more injured than he is"

"Sure thing Kagome" Ginta smiled

"We'll take care of him" Hakkaku added

"Then it's settled, we'll go after dinner" Miroku smirked. Kagome rolled her eyes and headed off to Sesshoumaru's room. She entered his room shyly and found Sesshoumaru gazing out the window that had the view of the village

"The boys are going to the tea house after" She started as she pulled a screen out and changed behind it "Inuyasha isn't though...as far as I know anyway"

"I doubt he will anger the demon slayer again" He mused as he turned to see Kagome's shadow behind the screen, he could see all her curves "What of Jaken?"

"I doubt he'll go" Kagome snorted "He's in love with you and I'm sure he'd hate to be unfaithful" She then stepped back out from behind the screen and set her clothes on a chair where she left her other ones earlier. She then walked over to him and caught his hands "I'm going to prepare some food, are you hungry at all?"

"I'm fine" He replied with a small smile "I shall have something tomorrow"

"You sure? After all we did face Naraku today?"

"You need the nutrition more than I do" He then kissed her cheek "When you're finished come back here"

"Uh huh" She smiled "I'll put Rin and Shippo to sleep first though, can they have just any room?" He nodded "Alright, then I'll catch you in a bit" She then released him and returned to the sitting room...

**Well here it is**

**See I'd never kill Kagome off completely :)**

**There will be lemon in the next chapter for a heads up**

**Reviews please :)**

**Inuyashasesshy4eva**

**xXx**


	13. Once a Girl, Now a Woman

Chapter Thirteen – Once a girl, Now a woman

Kagome, Miroku, Rin, Shippo, Ginta, Hakkaku, Kouga and the animals had finished their meals and were doing their own thing. Sango and Inuyasha still hadn't returned and no one dared to disturb them "Rin Shippo come along it is bed time"

"But..." Shippo yawned "...I'm not sleepy"

"Sure you're not" Kagome mused as she took the children's hands and led them off to one of the bedrooms. She came across a nursery so she had them sleep in there. She tucked them both into bed and kissed their foreheads "I'm sorry if I scared you today"

"It's okay Kagome" Rin smiled "It's just good to have you back"

"Yeah"

"It's good to be back" The miko then stood and blew out the candle "I'll see you two in the morning" She then closed their door and headed back to the sitting room. Just as she arrived she found that Sango and Inuyasha had returned looking very flushed and pleased "Did _you _two have fun?"

"Well let's put it this way" Inuyasha smirked as he brushed Sango's hair from her shoulder to reveal a mating mark "That's why we're not staying out here long" He wrapped his arm around Sango's waist "I'm not finished with her yet"

"Good luck Sango" Kagome laughed as Inuyasha led her off "Looks like you're not going to be walking for a week"

"Gee thanks" The couple then disappeared into a bedroom for a night of passion

"Well I'm definitely going now" Miroku sighed as he stood "I'll just get lecherous and peak if they are at it. Come on guys" Ginta and Hakkaku helped Kouga to his feet "See you in the morning Kagome"

"Just don't get into trouble" Kagome warned like a mother "I doubt Sesshoumaru wants to pay for any of the damages"

"We'll try" He laughed as he led the wolves out of the mansion and to seek out the tea house where they would be surrounded in beautiful women and sake for the rest of the night. The young miko rolled her eyes and headed to Sesshoumaru's room.

She entered without feeling the need to knock and found him laying on the bed just staring at her "Hey" She smiled as she made her way over and lay beside him "Sango is now officially Inuyasha's mate"

"They didn't?" He sighed "Why in the hot springs? We need to use that too" Kagome giggled and kissed his crescent moon

"You almost did the same to me when we were in there"

"It's _my _hot spring, there's a difference" He then towered over his little miko and leaned down to her lips. He kissed her with all his passion and love as he aloud his hands to slowly roam over her body. Kagome returned the favour as she ran his hands from his neck and down to his bare chest. Sesshoumaru growled in satisfaction as he slithered his hand under her PJ top and across her flat stomach

"Sessh..." She gasped as she caught his wandering hand "I-I'm scared"

"I'm here" He cooed into her ear as he kissed her neck "I won't hurt you"

"I-I know" She breathed. He didn't continue and that she was grateful for

"We do not have to do anything you don't want to do Kagome, I'll wait" She looked at him in awe, he was refusing his own desires until she was ready. He was so caring to her. So selfless.

"Could we j-just take t-things slow? I want to remember this" He nodded and removed his hand from her top, he then leaned down to her neck and began to nip and kiss at the courting mark. He felt her immediately relax and begin to moan some "S-Sesshoumaru..." He smiled against her neck and leaned up to look into those beautiful eyes. She was his. Only his. He gently brushed the bangs from her eyes and brushed his lips against hers. Kagome then wrapped her arms around his neck and shyly parted her legs so that she could feel more of him, she felt him smirk against her lips and blushed. He then pulled away and began to plant kisses from her chin, down her neck and to her chest. As he did this Kagome ran her fingers through his hair and sighed contently. He was so gentile with her

"Kagome" He breathed as he looked up at her "I want you"

"T-then have me" She let out a shaky breath when she felt him lift her top to just below her bust and plant butterfly kisses on her stomach. He knew she was nervous and wouldn't push her. He then sat up and was about to pull her top off completely when she caught his hand "I don't want you to see my body yet, could you wait until I get the courage to show you?"

"Of course" She smiled genuinely as he kissed the bridge of her nose "But do you want to continue?" She gave a short nod "With our clothes on though?"

"If you don't want to I understand" She then sighed "I bet you think I'm impossible, I bet the other girls you've been with just let you get straight to it"

"Kagome, the others were nothing but whores" He stated "You're different, you're worth the wait. I'll be patient" Then then heard a deep growl and a pleasured scream "Even if my brother isn't" Kagome giggled at this and caressed his cheek

"Why are you so patient with me? Why aren't you tired of me?"

"What would I be tired about?" He took her hand from his cheek and brought it to his lips "And I am patient with you because I..." He was definitely not used to saying this "...love you"

"Awe Sesshoumaru" She then jumped up and pushed at him so that she landed on top of him with her lips locked with his "I love you too" She beamed as she nuzzled his nose with hers. He rose a brow when he looked over the position they were in. She had somehow managed to pin his hands above his head whilst her legs were either side of his waist causing their flushes pressed up against each other. She innocently brushed upwards to kiss his forehead unknowingly that she rubbed herself against him. He let out a small groan and looked into her eyes with his own lustful and loving ones. She then caught onto what she did and blushed "Sorry"

"No need to apologize" He smirked as he pressed up "I have no problem" She gasped slightly and pressed back against him when she felt a tingling sensation. He allowed her to keep his hands pinned as she unconsciously rode him seeking for more pleasure. He growled in satisfaction and closed his eyes, it felt good alright "Kagome..." The little miko looked down at him and smiled, she'd never tell him but he looked incredibly cute and sexy like that...well she'd never tell him he looked cute anyway. She experimented by pressing harder against him causing him to groan louder. She then felt his manhood come to life and rub against her

"Kami" She moaned as she pressed her chest against his "Sessh..."

"Hmm?" He looked up at her through half lidded eyes. She blushed and averted her gaze

"C-could we...?" He nodded and sat up with her in his lap, he then shuffled back over to the pillows and lay Kagome on them. He then hovered over her and leaned into her ear

"Are you sure?" She nodded and kissed his neck "I'll prepare you first"

"Prepare me?" She looked at him with confusion in her glassy orbs

"It will be very painful for you if I don't" He then slid his hand down to the rim of her PJ bottoms

"I trust you" Kagome smiled as she took his hand and slid them down her bottoms but over her underwear "I think you can take it from here" He smirked and slithered his hand under her underwear, he then gently entered her with his finger "...ah..." She threw her head back as she arched into him. He began to pump in and out of her and added another finger, her moans instantly increased and she began bucking against him "Sesshoumaru..." She looked up for a moment to find his eyes were stuck on hers, just looking at him made her pleasure increase. She felt her end nearing when he went faster, she then reached out and pulled him down to kiss him. Just as he opened his mouth she accidentally bit down on his lip drawing blood as she hit her climax, she muffled his name against him as she rode the pleasure out. Sesshoumaru didn't really care that she had bitten him, if anything he found it rather erotic. He groaned and pulled his fingers from her. He then held them to his lips and sucked them clean, Kagome moaned at this and wrapped her legs around his waist. She then saw blood drip from his lip and gasped "Sesshoumaru, did I?"

"Don't worry" He chuckled as he wiped it away "I found it very pleasing as you can most probably tell" He ground himself against her causing her legs to drop from his waist "Will you allow me to take you Kagome?"

"...yes..." She breathed "You can remove my bottoms just not my top, okay?" He nodded and ripped her bottoms and underwear from her person "Sesshoumaru!" She slapped his arm and frowned "They were my favourite pair"

"Then I suggest you no longer wear anything you really like" He smirked "Because you won't be wearing them long with me around"

"I guessed" She huffed "Well come on then, they weren't ripped for nothing"

"Would you like to remove my hakama or would you prefer if I did so?"

"Could I just let 'it' out but you keep your hakama on?" He looked at her confused "I'd feel like an idiot if you were completely naked and I wasn't" He then chuckled but nodded

"Continue" She then reached down to his hakama and unbuckled it, she then pulled it down slightly and let his member free

"Kami" She gasped causing him to grin arrogantly "There is no way you'll fit me"

"I will" He reassured "Just keep your eyes on mine and you'll be fine" He then positioned himself at her entrance "Are you ready Kagome?" She gave a shaky nod and took a deep breath "This will hurt some" To get the pain over and done with he thrust straight in and stayed completely still "Hn..." He moaned

"Ah" Tears stained her cheeks as she tried to adjust. Sesshoumaru then kissed her tears away and nuzzled her cheek for reassurance "Y-you can move now..." She breathed "Just don't be rough"

"I won't" He then locked his lips with hers as he began to move in and out of her. They both moaned into the kiss and clung at each other. Kagome then bucked at him urging him to move faster, he complied and went slightly harder. She then broke the kiss and threw her head back in a moan causing him to lack onto her neck as he sucked, nipped and kissed at her courting mark "Kag..." He mumbled against her. She buried her fingers in his silken locks as she panted for breath

"Sessh...that's so...good" He lifted his head to look at her through his half lidded eyes and smiled with pride to find her panting and moaning for him, he leaned over and licked the shell of her ear

"You're so tight..." He breathed as he increased his pace even more "A-are you a-alright...?" She answered him with high pitched moans

"I-I...oh...hn" She bit her bottom lip and raked her nails down his sweat glistened back "I'm almost...there..." Her toes curled as she tangled her legs with his "Sessh...make me come..."

"Oh...Kagome..." He groaned at her erotic words. He increased his speed and went even harder, she voiced her wants even more. She didn't care if she sounded so wanton, she needed him to give her the release she sought. _'She's so responsive' _He grazed his fangs across her neck when suddenly he heard her deafening scream and felt her walls clamp down on his member. Not being able to control himself he sunk his fangs in her courting mark and joined her as he released his own seed into her

"Sesshoumaru" She wrapped her arms around his waist and marvelled in the utter bliss of both the pain and pleasure he was giving her. When she came down from her high she let out a shaky breath and kissed the top of Sesshoumaru's head. He then lifted his gaze to hers when Kagome noticed her blood trickle from his lips, she smiled softly and wiped the blood away with her thumb, his eyes were now full of confusion

"You're not angry?"

"Why would I be?"

"I marked you without your permission"

"I like a rebel" She winked as he kissed his crescent moon "I'm happy to be your mate Sesshoumaru, I couldn't imagine myself with anyone else"

"You don't feel as if this is happening too fast?" He asked as he pulled out of her and slumped down beside her looking completely exhausted. She giggled and shook her head

"There's no time like the present" She snuggled up to him and sighed contently "Thank you"

"For what?" He yawned as he pulled the covers over them

"For loving me and making me a woman" He smiled at this and pecked her lips

"My woman" He then lazily threw his arm around her waist and let his eyes slide shut. He hadn't felt so relaxed, so complete in such a long time. He let himself drift off into a well deserved deep sleep

"I love you" Kagome whispered as she too closed her eyes and followed suit...

During the night Kagome was awoken rudely to multiple bangs and laughing. She groaned loudly as she sat up. She found Sesshoumaru was sleeping soundly and decided to leave him like that, if this noise hadn't woken him then he definitely was exhausted. Sighing she slipped out of bed and put on a fresh pair of underwear along with one of Sesshoumaru's outer haoris, she then quietly tiptoed out of her room and into the sitting room where she found Jaken, AhUn and Kirara trying to shut up the drunken; contented; singing and laughing Miroku, Kouga, Ginta and Hakkaku. They were still holding a some sake in their hand as they joyfully sung as loud as they possibly could "Guys shut up everyone's asleep" She scolded

"Ne Kagome do you want to drink with us?" Miroku offered with a hiccup. Kouga looked up at her in such a short attire and grinned

"Gee Kagome" She stood and stumbled over to her "You look absolutely mouthwatering in that baby" He dropped the sake to the floor causing it to smash and cornered her "I want you"

"Kouga go to bed now!" She tried to show some authority but he just wasn't listening, instead he pinned Kagome's arms above her head and grinned at her

"K-Kouga don't do that" Miroku tried to stand but just couldn't "It's no...not v-very nice"

"Get off!" Kagome tried to break free but Kouga was a youkai after all, his injuries didn't seem to bother him at all "Kouga I'm serious"

"You know you want me" He then crashed his lips against hers and pressed himself up against her. She screamed against his lips and tried to get away

"Inuyasha..." Miroku shouted with a drunken slur "Prince...Sesshoumaru" Kouga then slithered his hand over her breast, down her stomach and to her core. She let out a small whimper when she felt his hand snake up the haori. But then there was nothing. She dared to crack open her eyes to find Kouga being hurled across the room, she looked to her left to find Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha growling deadly whilst Sango ran to her

"Kagome are you alright?" The demon slayer wrapped her arms around her "Inuyasha" She called "Don't kill him, remember he's drunk"

"Don't worry I won't kill him" He cracked his knuckles "I'm just gonna beat the soberness into him"

"I'll kill him" Sesshoumaru growled through crimson eyes

"Sesshoumaru, Sango's right" Kagome whimpered from the corner "Please let Inuyasha deal with him" She then moved from Sango and to her mate "Take me back to bed" She wrapped her arms around his waist and released some of her reiki to calm him. Sesshoumaru inhaled her jasmine scent and let his eyes return to their usual golden shade, his beast was subdued.

"Inuyasha deal with him for me" Sesshoumaru said as he lifted Kagome into his arms "I need to look after Kagome"

"No problem" Inuyasha shouted back as he lay a few punches into the wolf "Do you want him conscious in the morning?"

"Well I'm not carrying him if he's not"

"Conscious he'll be then" Inuyasha then gave him one more punch to knock him out for the night. He then ordered the drunken wolves to drag their leader off to bed whilst he took care of Miroku. He walked over to the monk and pulled his arm around his head as he pulled him to his feet

"Inu...I didn't mean...Kouga...hurt...Kagome, I love Kagome..."

"I know" Inuyasha rolled his eyes at Sango "Come on ya old lecher, let's put ya to bed"

"O...K..." The hanyou then dragged the monk away

"Kagome go on to bed and I'll check to see if the children are ok" Sango smiled "Get some rest" Kagome nodded and allowed Sesshoumaru to usher her back into the bedroom where he then closed the door and pulled her back over to the bed

"When he's sober I'll kill him" Sesshoumaru growled as he held his mate in his arms "How dare he touch you"

"Why did the mark you gave me burn?" She asked ignoring his outburst "When he kissed me it felt like my neck was on fire"

"Mine did too" He kissed her forehead and lay with her "It tells us if one of us is being raped or unfaithful"

"So if one of us was unfaithful and we no longer wanted to stay bonded, could we break it?"

"No" He sighed "In youkai law if your mate is being unfaithful then you simply kill him/her. I'm sorry I marked you without telling you what came with it"

"Sessh I don't care" She smiled softly as she snuggled up to him "As long as I'm with you I could care less" They were both about to go back to sleep when they heard Inuyasha headed back to his room

"Uh yeah, sure Miroku...I...I love you too man" He then ran to his room "Sango, the guy's really starting to scare me"

**Well here's another chapter**

**I did this in just one evening. Yay**

**Hope you enjoyed it**

**Reviews :)**

**Inuyashasesshy4eva**

**xXx**


	14. Seeking Naraku

Chapter Fourteen – Seeking Naraku

Everything was quiet, the sun had just risen so most of the living were still asleep. Kagome wished she could be one of them, but no, she was awoken to multiple kisses trailing over her neck and onto her mating mark "Hmm five more minutes" She groaned as she tried to bat her mate away

"It would be best to leave early mate" Mate, yes she liked that.

"Why?" She turned on her back and pouted, she looked up at her youkai Prince who was currently leaning over her "I'm still tired from last night"

"Which part?" He frowned slightly

"The part I completely enjoyed" She caught a strand of his silver her and ran her fingers through it "If we can stay a little longer we can have more fun" She winked

"As tempting as that is we cannot, we must head out before Naraku gets too far, plus I do not want to be anywhere near a tea house after last night's ordeal"

"It wasn't his fault Sessh, he was drunk" Kagome sighed

"Don't make excuses for him, it was always intention to have you under him" He then lay his forehead against hers "I'll kill him"

"Please don't. Don't forget he's most probably grieving over his family and friends, wouldn't you try to get rid of the pain by drinking?"

"Sake is not advisable for inuyoukai, it comes with back side effects. That is why I only drink it special occasions"

"Yeah but you'd most probably drink it if you were grieving, it gets rid of the pain or that's what you think"

"You seem to know a lot about this" He met her gaze

"My dad died when I was thirteen, I heard that alcohol gets rid of the sting so when I came in from school one day I grabbed a bottle of vodka from the kitchen, went to my room and drunk the whole bottle. I didn't realize how dangerous it was and passed out, I then woke up in hospital two days later" She sighed "I was stupid, I know"

"I take it this 'vodka' is only from your time?"

"Well if you haven't heard of it then it must be" She shrugged "After all you are hundreds of years old"

"I'm 500 Kagome" He smirked "I mere teenager"

"Sure" She laughed

"You will live up to my age one day"

"Humans have a very short life span, you should know that"

"You won't" He brushed his thumb against her mating mark "You shall have an immortal life"

"I will?" He nodded "Cool" She grinned as she pulled him down and kissed him. He deepened the kiss and pressed himself against her, she let out a childish giggle just as Inuyasha walked in

"Inuyasha!" Sesshoumaru growled "Do not just barge in"

"Why? I knew you weren't doing anything. These walls aren't exactly thick, I heard you two at it last night"

"Back at ya" Kagome laughed

"What can I say" Inuyasha smirked "But can you guys get up so we can make a move?"

"I am trying to get her up" Sesshoumaru replied with an amused tone "We shall be out now"

"Well Sango's already started to prepare breakfast, I didn't even know there was a kitchen here" He shrugged "And it's stocked with food" Kagome laughed at how amazed he was "Oh and Kags, Kouga's up and he wants to apologize to ya"

"He remembers?" He nodded "Alright I'll be right out" Inuyasha nodded again and left. The couple then sat up and climbed out of bed. Kagome let out a big stretch and walked over to her pack "Can I have a bath before we go? I feel all sweaty"

"As long as you have company" He smirked as he pulled her back against his chest and nipped at her neck "And you won't go anywhere near that wolf without my presence"

"I guessed that" She laughed "I'm not gonna get dressed yet since we're gonna have a bath first"

"Yes but you're not going out there with just your top and my haori on"

"Well a certain Prince ripped my bottoms off last night" She then purposely bent over with him still holding her as she reached into her back and pulled out a fresh pair of bottoms, she heard Sesshoumaru groan and grip her waist tightly. She then stood back up and reached back to wrap her arm around his neck "Down boy"

"You'll pay for that tonight" He whispered into her ear causing shivers down her spine. He then released her and went into the wardrobe. He pulled out a simple white haori and slipped it on. Kagome slipped on her bottoms and gripped the haori that she was currently wearing

"You realize you're not getting this back?" She grinned when he slithered his hand around her waist and pecked her lips

"Just make sure you're wearing that, and only that tonight" He then led them out of the bedroom and into the sitting room where they once again found everyone. They were all already dressed. Shippo and Rin were feeding the animals; Jaken was mumbling to himself; Miroku was dying from a killer hangover; Ginta and Hakkaku were talking amongst themselves; Kouga was sitting against the wall silently; Inuyasha was watching him from the corner of his eye and Sango was nowhere to be seen

"Ne Inuyasha where's Sango?" Inuyasha looked up at her and stretched

"In the kitchen, she told me to leave her be. She said I was distracting her from cooking" He shrugged "I think she's making up a fruit salad something, she said she learnt it from you"

"I gave her a cook book for her birthday three months ago didn't I" She replied as she sat on the couch with Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha was sitting on the floor by her feet and noticed Kouga was watching her "You said you'd eat this morning?" Kagome whispered to Sesshoumaru who then wrapped his arm around her shoulders

"And I shall" He replied "I shall have something from the kitchen in a moment"

"Ugh I really don't fancy any fruit first thing in the morning" Inuyasha groaned "Kagome go make me some ramen" Sesshoumaru then kicked him in the head "Hey what was that for?"

"My mate isn't you personal chef"

"Mate?" The hanyou then grinned "Copying me now are ya?"

"I doubt it" Kagome laughed as she pulled her best friend's puppy ear "I'm sure his performance was ten times better" Before he could argue back Sango entered with a big bowl of fruit and set it down on the table in front of her mate

"Well dig in, I thought it'd be easier to just throw it all in one bowl" She shrugged as she sat next to Kagome "How are you this morning?"

"Sore" She giggled into her friend's ear. Both Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru heard this and stood out of awkwardness "Where are you going?"

"To eat" Sesshoumaru replied

"Yeah I'm gonna check out what he's having" Inuyasha then headed off to the kitchen. Sesshoumaru stopped in front of Miroku

"Make sure the wolf doesn't near the women" Miroku nodded and Sesshoumaru continued after his brother. He found him going through all the stock looking for something appetising to eat "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to find something that ya don't have to cook, I can't be bothered to light a fire"

"Then eat it raw" He replied as he went and pulled out some sliced up boar. He then cut it into tiny pieces and began to eat

"Raw?" He grimaced "How can you do that?"

"I'm a youkai, all youkai do it. I guess you never have since you lived with your mother. Just try some" He threw a piece of boar to the hanyou who gingerly sniffed it "Inuyasha it's not poison"

"I know" Just to impress his big and marvellous brother he threw the contents into his mouth and chewed "Hey it's not that bad" He then swallowed and got himself his own chunk of sliced boar, but instead of doing the mature thing of cutting it up he just bit into it and ripped parts off

"You have no manners" Sesshoumaru sighed as he finished his breakfast "I feel sorry for your mate, she has to kiss you" He then helped himself to some water and grabbed some lemon grass out of a china pot

"Why are you eating that?"

"Because I have a human mate" He replied as he chewed down the grass "Do you think she will enjoy the taste of blood when she kisses me?" His breath was now lemony fresh and blood free

"Good idea" Inuyasha then repeated his brother's actions and washed his bloody fingers off "So how come you took her as your mate so fast? You're usually patient with these kind of things"

"My youkai urges took over" He replied "She understood and didn't really mind. What of you?"

"Sango told me to so I did" He shrugged

"Just don't do it in the hot springs again" Sesshoumaru warned with a smirk "It is bad enough that I have to bathe in there now"

"I take it Kags will be joining you" He nodded and they headed back to the sitting room

Kagome just finished the last slice of water melon and sighed as she patted her full stomach "That was delicious, thanks Sango"

"No problem" She smiled "Most of the food in there was raw food so ya know"

"Well this is a mansion built for youkai" Shippo explained trying to act older than he was "Have you ever been here before Rin?"

"Nope, Prince Sesshoumaru doesn't tend to take me to villages much because he knows I don't like them. Not after what I saw before...the wolves"

"Nothing like that will ever happen to you again" Kagome reassured "I won't let allow it"

"Thank you" Rin beamed. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha then re-entered, Inuyasha let out a house shaking belch causing Sesshoumaru to backhand him

"I've got to kiss that" Sango huffed playfully

"I'm lucky" Kagome grinned "Mine has got manners" She then stood and walked over to Sesshoumaru "Ready for a bath?" He nodded and she ran off to the bedroom to slip into her bathing suit. Inuyasha slumped down next to Sango and wrapped his arm around her shoulders

"It's weird to think that Kagome is our sister and my brother is your brother now"

"Why is it weird?" Sango laughed "I think it's nice and besides Kagome and I have always looked to ourselves as sisters"

"Yeah but you're Sesshoumaru's sister as well now"

"And?"

"Inuyasha you've forgotten to mention to your mate that she is now also a Princess" Sesshoumaru stated and smirked when he saw Sango's jaw drop

"Oh my god I am too" She gapped "Prince Sesshoumaru do I have to do any like duties?"

"Only to stand beside your family" He replied "But if Kagome and I died with no heir you and Inuyasha would take over. Then I would pass all the responsibilities over to you"

"Why Sango?" Inuyasha asked

"Because if I passed it over to you the kingdom would be dead" He smirked "You're not exactly the most patient and organized are you"

"Fair enough" He shrugged. Kagome then emerged from the bedroom in just her bikini and holding two towels in her hands

"Ready?" Inuyasha gapped at Kagome causing Sango to backhand him

"Don't gawk at your sister" She laughed. Sesshoumaru then walked over to his mate and wrapped his arm around her hoping to shield her from Kouga's gaze

"Inuyasha make sure we're not disturbed. If anyone knocks I'll leave it to you...Sango" And with that the couple left to the hot springs. When they entered the garden Kagome threw the towels onto the bench and dived into the spring

"Oh my god you actually said Sango's name" She giggled. Sesshoumaru stripped down to his underwear and joined her, he didn't really care about wrapping a towel around himself. He then swam near her and leaned back against the spring

"She is now my sister is she not" He splashed some water from his face "And Kagome?" She turned to look at him "Please do not wear that thing around the males, I do not want anyone to see what is mine"

"Yours?" She giggled as she swam over and straddled his waist "How am I yours?" He brushed her hair from her shoulder and fingered her mating mark

"Just promise me you won't. Inuyoukai are very possessive of their mates"

"I promise" She then ran her hands over his chest "By the way did I tell you how sexy you are when you're jealous?"

"I don't get jealous" He snorted

"Possessive, jealous, call it what you want" She lay her head on his shoulder and began to leave love bites on his neck. The young Prince sighed softly and relaxed. She knew how to bring his defences down alright. He move his head to give her more access to his neck as he ran his hands up her back. When she finished torturing his neck she reached out behind him and grasped one of the bottles of bathing liquid, she then poured some on her hands and began to rub them over his chest "I could get used to this" She winked

"So could I" He then leaned forward and captured her lips. She moaned loudly as she pressed herself against him resulting in some of the bathing liquid sticking to her body. Sesshoumaru then pulled away and smirked to find her stomach covered in suds. This time he took the bottle and poured the contents directly onto her neck and watched as it travelled down the valley between her breasts, Kagome then began to rub it all in causing him to groan just from the very sight "You shall definitely receive a punishment tonight"

"For what?" She stopped her ministrations

"For making me want you so badly" He then wrapped his arms around her waist and slowly pulled her down further into the water with him to rinse them off. Kagome wrapped her legs around his waist and nipped at his earlobe as he did so, growling he ground himself against her erupting a moan from her

"Sessh..." She tangled her fingers in his silver hair and playfully bit his lip

"I suggest we get out now" He said as she released his lip "Otherwise I'll end up taking you right here"

"What's wrong with that?"

"Inuyasha is watching" Blushing Kagome unwrapped her legs from his waist and moved from his hold

"I'll kill him" She huffed as she folded her arms under her bust "He just waits" She then climbed out of the spring and wrapped a towel around her. Sesshoumaru followed suit, wrapped a towel around himself and picket up his discarded clothes. They then returned to the comfort of their room where they picked out their clothes for today's journey. Sesshoumaru picked his usual attire and slipped it on not really bothered about the fact that Kagome could see him. The little miko though averted her eyes and pulled out a pair of skinny jeans, a bright blue halter neck and her dark blue jacket along with the necessities such as underwear, bra, socks etc., she then moved behind the screen and slipped into her outfit. When she emerged she slid on her trainers and packed her clothes away, she then quickly brushed her hair and zipped up her pack

"When we can we should travel to Totosai's" Sesshoumaru suggested, breaking the silence "You lost your weapons during the...incident"

"Alright but I can go without them for a while, I've been practising and can channel my powers through my hands. Hopefully I'll be able to use them when killing an enemy from a long distance"

"Just don't push yourself" He strapped his weapons to his waist and caught his mate's hand "I shall protect you for now, that way you can gradually work on your skills without over exceeding yourself"

"Thanks" The couple then for the last time returned to the sitting room, everyone was ready to go and were awaiting them by the exit

"About time" Inuyasha huffed

"Well sorry if I wanted to bathe" Kagome huffed back with challenging eyes

"Bathe? I know exactly what you wanted to do and it wasn't to bathe"

"Sit boy" As usual Inuyasha crashed to the floor

"Can you teach me how to do that?" Sango laughed

"I'll ask Kaede for you" Kagome replied with a wink. They then pulled Inuyasha out of his hundredth crater and headed to leave the village. As they walked along the pathway that led to the exit people stopped what they were doing and bowed, the little girl Sakura then came out of nowhere and latched herself onto Kagome

"Thank you so much for everything Lady Kagome, I'll never forget what you did for me" Kagome kneeled in front of the child and kissed her forehead

"And I'll never forget about such a grown up young lady like you" She smiled "Don't ever let anyway push you over"

"I won't, I'll be strong just like you" She then stepped back into Nami's embrace and bowed. Kagome stood and entwined her fingers with Sesshoumaru's, she waved to the young child and headed to the exit. They found Kenji the headman by the exit who bowed lowly to them

"Thank you for bestowing us with you visit Prince Sesshoumaru" He smiled "Please don't hesitate to visit again my Lord"

"Just make sure the next time I do visit that everything is in good order. I better not see another child neglected like that again"

"Of course my Lord" Sesshoumaru nodded and left the village with his companions following. They got so far when Rin spoke up

"Prince Sesshoumaru where are Miroku and the wolves?" The gang turned to find that they were missing some of their party

"Now where could have they run off to?" Kagome sighed

"Feh I wouldn't usually care but Miroku's with 'em" Inuyasha snorted

"KEEP MOVING" They looked back to the village to find Miroku, Kouga, Ginta and Hakkaku running as fast as they could and straight past them. They ran straight into the nearest forest just as a group or human, hanyou and youkai women ran out of the village with massive scowls on their faces

"Is there a problem?" Sesshoumaru raised a silken brow

"Yes there is your highness" A youkai woman bravely stepped forward and bowed "Those idiots you travel with have slept with all of our daughters, we expect a marriage to be done"

"You're not gonna get one" Inuyasha replied "Those lot are the shiftiest males you'll ever meet, you'd be better off marrying your girls off to the people in your village"

"You seem like a sincere hanyou, won't you marry one of our daughters?" A hanyou stepped forward and bowed "Please, my daughter is very beautiful"

"What?...Uh sorry but I'm mated..." Inuyasha blushed but winced when he felt Sango's green monster appear behind him "And...and...I'm madly in love..." The women sighed and nodded

"Then if you see those men again could you tell them to return to fulfil their commitment?"

"I will but it won't happen" Inuyasha stated rather blunt "Sorry girls"

"Well thank you anyway" The women then headed back to the village with their heads drooped

"Trust Miroku" Sango sighed as she tightened her grip on Inuyasha's hand "And the nerve of those women trying to get you to mate with their daughters. Can't they smell the mating bond?"

"They were most probably desperate" The hanyou shrugged "And don't worry Sango, I'm not going anywhere" He pecked her lips as they entered the forest where their idiots had run off to earlier

"Good thing you didn't marry Miroku" Kagome mused "You'd have so many step children"

"Tell me about it" Sango laughed

"You better not have any children hanging around" Kagome glared at her mate half-heartedly

"I assure I do not" He smirked "Though if I did what could you possibly do?"

"I'd purify your ass"

"I think we've discussed how your pathetic excuse of spiritual powers do not work on me"

"Oh yeah" She then zapped his arm causing him to jumped slightly "You were saying?"

"Wench" He then lifted her and threw her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes

"Sesshoumaru put me down!" Sango, Inuyasha and the children laughed at the miko whilst Jaken just scowled at her, why didn't his Lord lop her head off for attacking him? "If you don't put me down the you can forget about..." But before she could finish Sesshoumaru dropped her to the floor and carried on walking "Awe that's it" She then lifted her hand and shot some of her powers in his direction, he obviously dodged it and appeared straight in front of her causing her to let out a shriek "How did you...?" He then playfully shoved her onto her back with his foot and held Tenseiga – just in case he hurt her – to her throat

"Will you submit miko?"

"To you?" She grinned "Never" He then lowered his blade to the rim of her jacket

"Do you favour this clothing? Because I'll rip it from your person if you do not behave"

"Is that a threat or a promise" She winked "And yes this is my favourite jacket"

"Then be a good little miko or else" He then sheathed his sword and held his hand out to her, she took it and he pulled her to her feet

"You're a bully" She pouted as she kept hold of his hand

"Let us continue" He said to his brother acting as if his play time with his miko hadn't happened

"Uh sure" Inuyasha then followed his brother further into the forest where they eventually came upon the breathless monk and wolves "I've got a message for ya" They looked at him panting "Those women said ya gotta return to the village and marry their daughters"

"WHAT?!" All four of then gapped "NO WAY"

"Shocker there" Sango laughed

"Well get off your backsides and come on, we have to continue our search for Naraku" Kagome ushered "By the way Miroku, how many possible children do you have?" The monk just shrugged causing Kagome to roll her eyes. They were about to continue on when Kouga stepped out in front of Kagome

"Kagome I just want to apologize for last night, I didn't mean to hurt you at all. It was sake, I'd never advance on you like that in this state. Please forgive me" His eyes were pleading

"Kouga I know you would never do something like that to me willingly, I understand that you were drunk and I forgive you" She smiled "Just cut back on the drink, okay?"

"You've got it" He smiled

"And let's get one thing clear wolf, the only reason Sesshoumaru and I haven't killed ya is because the girls stopped us" Inuyasha growled

"If you try anything like that again though I will kill you" Sesshoumaru warned "Whether Kagome wants me to or not"

"Understood" Kouga sighed "It won't happen again" Sesshoumaru nodded and wrapped his arm around Kagome's waist

"Then follow" The young Prince then led the group across the Eastern Lands to find any clues on Naraku...

About an hour or so later they came across a human village, Kouga said they were terrified of youkai that was mostly his fault since he used to feast there. Kagome understood and told the non-human party to wait in the trees whilst she, Sango and Miroku – Rin wanted to stay with Shippo – went to the village.

Inuyasha was getting incredibly agitated as his mate was gone from him for what he believed was too long...even if it had only gone a half hour. He had tried to go get her a few times but was pulled back by his brother, he explained he could scent them from where he was and could sense no troubles. Inuyasha relaxed some on this news but not completely "Hey wolf, after we defeat Naraku what are ya gonna do? You have no pack to run now so you can't actually be a leader any more"

"I'll just go to the mountains where Ayame and her grandfather, the grand elder reside. I'll be welcome there...though I'll most probably have to marry Ayame" He muttered the last few words

"Well ya might as well marry her, it's not like you're gonna get Kagome now" Inuyasha shrugged "And at least Ayame will be faithful. I don't know why you hate her so much, she is a pretty little thing"

"She's so obsessed with me"

"Like you are with Kagome?" Shippo innocently asked not really seeing the harm

"Like I _was"_ He replied, he really didn't want to tick Sesshoumaru off further

"Feh I don't know how you can still claim you love her" Inuyasha shrugged "You only had her with you for a day or two"

"How did he manage to have her?" Sesshoumaru asked from under the tree he was sitting at

"Kouga kidnapped her because she could sense the sacred jewel shards, I don't really know what happened then but when I came to save her he told me to leave her alone because she was _his_ woman. You'd be better off asking Kagome the story"

"Kagome wouldn't talk to Inuyasha after he saved her though" Shippo stated acting all big "He accused her of falling in love with her and got really mean so Kagome went home and avoided him for a while" He then received a thump on the head by Inuyasha "OW, wait until I tell Kagome" He sniffled

"Shut it brat" He huffed

"Inuyasha don't hit the children" Sesshoumaru frowned "Unless you wish for Kagome to subdue into the ground"

"Just be lucky she doesn't have you wearing one of these"

"I'm not her pet" He smirked

"Hey!" He growled "At least I'm not some cold hearted bastard"

"How dare you speak to Prince Sesshoumaru so rudely" Jaken snapped but everyone just ignored him

"Do not curse in front of the children, you've already poisoned the kit with such language. I will not have you do the same to Rin"

"Kids don't act on everything they hear" The hanyou snorted "I doubt your brat will start swearing her head off, not with you as her master anyway"

"And what of your kitsune?"

"One word, Kagome" Just as he said this his mate, Miroku and Kagome returned from the village "Well?"

"Nothing" Kagome sighed as she collapsed into Sesshoumaru's lap "The only this we got there were a few gropes from perverted men" Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha let out an angry growl "Drop it"

"You too Yash" Sango warned "We don't need any more bloodshed"

"This search is futile" Miroku groaned "Naraku will come to us eventually to get his revenge"

"The monk's right" Sesshoumaru sighed "Naraku is most probably making a wish on the Shikon no Tama as we speak, there is no point to searching for him with no leads"

"Then what do ya suggest we do?" Inuyasha huffed

"I suggest we return to the palace, that is the most likely place he'll attack. It _is _the home of the royal family and the very place that rules over Japan. He wants power and with our deaths he will most definitely get it"

"Sesshoumaru, your mother is at the palace now. What if he's already attacked?"

"He doesn't know she even exists, he won't attack the palace unless we are there" He replied "Come we should return"

"And what about the stinking wolf?" Inuyasha asked as his brother and sister-in-law stood

"He might as well stay with us for now, when the battle with Naraku eventually comes we will need all the allies we can get" He then lifted Kagome into his arms and took to the sky

"Wait, if we fly Naraku will detect us" Inuyasha called as he jumped onto Kirara with Sango

"Exactly" Sesshoumaru called back. Rin, Miroku and Jaken clambered onto AhUn whereas Shippo transformed and carried Kouga, Ginta and Hakkaku.

"Ne Sango" Inuyasha nudged his mate "Now that we're returning to the palace how about you and I do some baby making?" He then reached down and groped her

"Honestly Inuyasha" She backhanded him "You're just as bad as Miroku"

**Another Chapter up**

**Hope you enjoyed it**

**Reviews :)**

**Inuyashasesshy4eva**

**xXx**


	15. The Battle

Chapter Fifteen – The Battle

Smoke came out of nowhere, and the palace surrounded in flames. The sounds of screams and cries could be heard as could the malicious laughter of their enemy. Kagome felt her body suddenly overcome with fear when she set sights on Naraku, he was currently standing outside the palace with his minions who were attacking the palace guards and Queen Jen herself "No!" She gasped "Sesshoumaru...you said..."

"I realize what I said" He frowned "And I was wrong" Immediately he and the rest of the gang landed between Naraku and the Queen. Sesshoumaru set Kagome on her feet as he unsheathed his sword "How dare you strike my palace" He growled. But Naraku just ignored him, his eyes were wide as he looked at Kagome

"How the hell are you alive?! I killed you!" Jen walked to Kagome's side and smirked

"You underestimate the power of the Royal Family, I called Kagome back from the dead. From hell itself. Not even your precious Shikon no Tama could keep her there"

"Yeah and you're gonna pay for sending her there" Inuyasha unsheathed his sword as Sango armed herself with her Hirakotsu

"Her death could have been prevented by your brother" Naraku snickered to the hanyou "All he stated was that the very thing I desired was not an object" His gaze then moved to the Prince "I now know what it is, The Key was you"

"Was?" Sesshoumaru raised a brow "And how would my fate change?"

"Check your mate's gut" He smirked "When that brat is born and of age I shall slice its very being open and taint the seal of hell with its very blood"

"The Seal Of Hell is just a myth" Miroku stated as he took a step forward "Stop chasing fairy tales Naraku, there is no way that there is such a seal that could open a hell mouth and reek havoc on the world"

"Heh it's no fairy tale, is it Sesshoumaru" Naraku laughed "The blood of the youngest full bred member of the Royal Family will open the seal"

"Then if what you say is true and Kagome is indeed carrying Sesshoumaru's child then it couldn't possibly be a pure bred youkai" Sango pondered "She is a miko and he is a youkai, do the math you idiot"

"You're right" He then grinned "The child may turn out to be a worthless human, Kagome's powers will purify the child's youki. So then..." He then looked up at Sesshoumaru and chuckled "You're the Key"

"What if I am?" Sesshoumaru readied his sword "You can not subdue me, and even if you could The Seal Of Hell has not been recovered in centuries"

"Fool, we are standing up on it" Naraku then shot a ball of miasma to the ground melting all the fresh green grass away to reveal a massive circular, golden doorway that held the crest of the Royal Family – a crescent moon – with a sword running straight through it

"But...how...?" Jen gasped "How could you possibly know of the location? Even my mate did not know where it lay"

"Oh he did" Naraku smirked "And he told a certain sword master, I just stuck my hands through the old man's head and pulled all the information I needed from it. Don't you see, I let Totosai live. It was all a part of my plan to lure you here, I twisted the fool's memories so that he could lead you on your path"

"But why lead us East?" Kagome demanded "You could have just attacked while we were here"

"I needed the shards from Kouga and I knew you'd come to his aid, I planned to kill you at the same time but then that damned wench had to come and revive you"

"Even if she didn't I would have found a way to return" Kagome stated as she summoned her reiki "I have a destiny to fulfil"

"Big words from such a little girl" Naraku mused "Tell me Kagome, how could you possibly bring yourself back without the aid of the Queen?"

"You'll find out soon enough" She smirked

"Will I now?" He smirked with a risen brow "I doubt Kikyo would be willing to aid you"

"Kikyo is not the only dead person who wishes your death"

"Who else?" He frowned slightly

"Like I said, you'll find out soon enough" Naraku then shot a blade the miko's way, Sesshoumaru knocked it back and stood in front of his mate

"This is between you and me"

"You're right" He chuckled "I'll make you a deal Sesshoumaru" All his minions then surrounded the young Prince and his companions "If you willingly stand upon the seal and sacrifice yourself then I shall allow your mate to live"

"You cannot be trusted" Sesshoumaru growled "My men are more than capable of defeating your followers" He then shot forward and attacked the dark hanyou head on. Jen then ordered the guards to defend the palace whilst she pulled Kagome to her and erupted a barrier around them

"Jen what are you...?"

"Kagome you are not the only one who spoke with him, I know the plan and you are to be unharmed. If your child gets touched then the fate of the world will be sealed"

"I don't believe I am with child" She snapped "I can't leave Sesshoumaru and my friends to face Naraku alone"

"You must" Jen barked back "They will be fine!"

Inuyasha unsheathed Tetsusaiga and charged at Kagura with Sango at his side, they both attacked the pathetic wind sorceress who had yet to recover from her previous injuries. Miroku had joined the palace guards and helped them by sucking up Naraku's minions as the guards themselves destroyed all the poisonous insects who neared the monk. AhUn, Jaken and Kirara protected the children as they fought off numerous weak youkai; Kouga, Ginta and Hakkaku stood in front of them and defended them against the more stronger youkai

Naraku's new found power from the Shikon no Tama was helping him achieve in knocking Sesshoumaru around like swatting a fly. The young Prince though refused to be beaten. He continued to pull himself to his feet and attack the dark hanyou head on "Give it up Sesshoumaru, it's futile" Naraku then punched Sesshoumaru in the gut causing him to stumbled backwards onto the seal "Excellent" He then pulled a dagger from his kimono and attempted to slash at his highness. Sesshoumaru managed to dodge the attacks as he kicked Naraku to the ground the stabbed him in the gut "You fool, my wish on the Shikon no Tama was to give me immortality, even being struck does not shorten my life"

"The jewel has not disappeared, how could you have made a wish upon it?" He demanded as he moved back from the hanyou's attacks

"It is bound to me" He then dived forward and managed to slash Sesshoumaru's cheek. Inuyasha and everyone finally finished off their enemies and moved to the Prince's aid only to find that a barrier had formed around him and Naraku, Inuyasha tried to use his Tetsusaiga to break the barrier but it was futile.

A drop of blood fell from Sesshoumaru's face and to the seal. The seal itself pulsed some but remained closed "It must need more blood" Naraku smirked as he looked up at Sesshoumaru "Apologies your highness but I'm going to need more of your precious blood"

"I'll have to decline" Sesshoumaru then raised his sword "Dragon strike!" The blast then erupted from his blade and collided with Naraku's body. The dark hanyou just laughed as he was engulfed with the blast

"You just don't learn" Naraku then ran out of the blast and collided his blade with Sesshoumaru's stomach. He dragged his dagger across making a massive gash and pulled out. The Prince's eyes were wide with pure shock as his hands numbly moved to his stomach. He then fell to his knees as he chocked up his own blood. Naraku raised his chin so that crimson met gold as he grinned "Long live the mighty Prince Sesshoumaru" He then lifted the Shikon no Tama from his haori and clenched it in his fist. The very same fist then collided with the back of Sesshoumaru's sending the Prince face first to the ground as his blood smothered the seal

"No...SESSHOUMARU" Kagome broke out of Jen's barrier as she ran to her mate's aid. A blinding blue light engulfed her mate as the ground began to shake "NO"

"ENOUGH!!!"

**A short chapter I know but there is a good reason**

**I'm not slacking off lol**

**Hope you enjoyed it**

**Reviews please :)**

**Inuyashasesshy4eva**

**xXx**


	16. Back From The Dead

Chapter Sixteen – Back From The Dead

The force of the blinding blue light preventing Kagome from moving forward, she was petrified. She needed to know that her mate was at least alive, he couldn't fall. He was Prince Sesshoumaru how could he possibly die? As the light slowly dissipated everyone could see the outline of some creature, no human. What it human or a youkai in its humanoid form?

Naraku tried all he could muster to clearly see the opposing nuisance that had gotten between him and Sesshoumaru. What unnerved the most was that they very light was full of pure energy. Had Kagome emitted some sort of barrier? No, that wouldn't explain the strange figure standing before him. Finally the light completely vanished to reveal the one person considered a God, his silver hair tied back; his shocking golden gaze; his dark blue markings; his deadly claws, even his armour looked intimidating. "Who are you?" Naraku demanded "You're in my way" The God ignored the dark hanyou. Instead he kneeled down to the bloody mess that was the Prince of Japan. When Sesshoumaru felt a hand on his shoulder he turned his head – to much difficulty – and gazed up and the being through half lidded eyes, they suddenly widened in shock as he tried to form words

"Shh rest my boy" His hand began to glow blue as he healed Sesshoumaru's wounds "Sleep" For some reason Sesshoumaru complied to his wishes and let the exhaustion take over his body as he fell into an unconsciousness. Satisfied the boy was healed the God stood and moved his gaze to Jen and Kagome "Place a barrier around him" The girls nodded and were immediately at Sesshoumaru's side. He then turned back to Naraku as he cracked his claws

The dark hanyou though was too busy looking at the seal "It didn't open" He muttered "Then that means...Kagome is indeed carrying his brat" He moved his gaze to the miko who was currently helping the Queen place a barrier around themselves and the Prince "Kagome, come with me and I insure Sesshoumaru's life"

"Go to hell!" She snapped "You would never keep your word and to hell if I give up my child to you"

"Neither would I allow you to get your hands on my grandchild" The God stated calmly but sternly "Hanyou you will die today for assaulting my home as well as my pup"

"WHAT?!" Naraku gapped, finally losing his cocky composure "You're dead, there is no way in hell that you could possibly be King Inutaisho"

"How is it impossible to believe? Kagome was resurrected from the dead was she not? I can do the same thing"

"Kagome was resurrected through you god damned mate, you weren't"

"Let's put it this way" Inutaisho smirked "The Gods have had it with your antics and have revived to put an end to it. A certain miko requested that I return something to her, you must know of the Great Miko Midoriko" Naraku began to quiver, the Gods wanted his death. No he wouldn't have it. He couldn't. He'd have now most definitely open the hell mouth to bring forth the Gods of Hell to defeat the ones from Heaven. But he also knew that he had to wait for The Key to be born and he was sure to wait until it was a certain age, he wanted to hear the child scream and beg for death. Finally he smirked and bowed lowly to the King

"As much as I'd hate to disappoint you my Lord but I will not come willingly, I have business with the very seal you stand upon. I will not allow you to take my life so easily" He then erupted his barrier around him "Just be prepared to lose a grandchild" And with that he took to the sky, he was rather unnerved that Inutaisho made no attempt to attack him but he wouldn't dwell on that now. He just needed to get away and stay hidden.

As the dark hanyou retreated Inuyasha attacked him with his wind scar but was too far out for it to hit him "Hey you could have go him" Inuyasha growled at Inutaisho

"It is not his time" Inutaisho replied as he met his youngest son's stern gaze "An image of your mother" He smiled. He then turned and kneeled beside his son, the barrier around his eldest was gone but the two worrying females hadn't

"If he dies Inutaisho I'll kill you, I refuse to lose my only son" Jen growled

"He's fine" Inutaisho stated as he gathered Sesshoumaru into his arms and stood "He just needs to rest. Kagome follow me" Kagome did so and followed Inutaisho into the palace, down the West wing and into Sesshoumaru's chambers. Just as he lay Sesshoumaru down onto the bed Jen entered still looking infuriated

"You never mentioned him being harmed Inutaisho, I'm not surprised though. You always caused the boy pain"

"Do not start on me Jen, I never brought any displeasure upon our pup. You were the one who turned him cold and had him shun the world, especially the human race and all over your deep jealousy of Izayoi"

"Don't bring that little whore into this" She growled "The sound of her name makes me sick"

"If I found out you've treated Inuyasha wrongly because of her I will see to it personally that you die" Inutaisho warned from Sesshoumaru's bedside

"And leave our son without a mother?"

"You were no mother to him"

"Me? You were no father to him, you was his King and nothing more"

"Don't get me started on you" He barked "Now shut up before you wake him, the boy needs rest"

"The boy has a name" Jen snapped "Or is he just one of your servants?"

"Heh at least I acknowledged him, you shunned him after I went with Izayoi. That's why I took him from your care"

"Oh and I sure he had all the love and attention when he went to you" She sarcastically growled "Face it Inutaisho, you were too caught up with Izayoi and your unborn pup. You totally ignored Sesshoumaru" All the shouting had caused the young Prince to stir, he slowly opened his eyes but neither parent noticed as they were too caught up in screaming at each other. Kagome though caught sight of him and was at his side immediately, he let out a pained groan as he remembered the events

"Are you alright love?" Hearing Kagome's words both parents turned to their son

"Naraku...?" He breathed, still very drowsy

"He's gone" She smiled as she entwined her fingers with his "I think I know how you felt when you lost me" He gave a weak smirk as he looked up at her through half lidded eyes

"Is anyone injured?"

"Nope"

"You?"

"Sessh I'm fine, stop worrying" She leaned forward and pecked his lips "I'm just glad you are"

"I'm not leaving you" He then pressed his hand against her stomach "Or our unborn pup" Kagome caught the hand against his stomach and smiled warmly. Inutaisho then placed his hand on his son's shoulder to get his attention. The young Prince met his father's gaze and began to question if he truly was alive

"It is good to see you are well my son" He brushed the bangs from Sesshoumaru's eyes "I got to you just in time my boy"

"His name is Sesshoumaru" Jen snapped as she moved to Kagome's side, she then leaned down and kissed her son's forehead "How are you feeling Sesshou?"

"I'm fine" He replied as she continuously ran her thumb over his crescent moon

"Are you hungry? Thirsty?" He shook his head and sighed "Perhaps you should try to sleep"

"No, I'm alright" He insisted as he dragged himself up into a sitting position causing Kagome's hands to leave his "I need fresh air" He tried to slide out of bed but Inutaisho halted him

"Pup, for a change your mother is right. You need to rest"

"What I need is for you two to seize your irate banter" He growled as he pulled from his father "Now release me"

"Do not growl or shove from me pup" Inutaisho warned "I will not have it"

"What are you going to do? Beat him?" Jen scowled. Inuyasha then entered the bedroom without knocking to find his father and Jen bickering, choosing to ignore them at the moment he went and stood by Kagome who was on the opposite side on the bed to his father

"How ya feeling Sessh? You look like shit"

"Thank you for that crude language" He smirked as he tried to ignore his parents' on going arguing. Inuyasha couldn't though, it annoyed him greatly

"Yo" He called to them causing them to look at him "Don't ya think you should shut it and let my brother rest? Gee take it outside if ya have to"

"Inuyasha do not use such language with me" Inutaisho warned yet again

"Why? I don't know you, I know you're my old man but that's about it. At the moment I could care less who you are, I'm more concerned about my brother. Ya know the one you abandoned?"

"I didn't abandon him Inuyasha, I left to save you and your mother" Inuyasha just rolled his eyes

"Sure ya did. Well could ya leave now? My brother needs to rest"

"And I shall see to it that he gets it" Inutaisho stated "Perhaps you should leave to my study, then we can talk some"

"You mean Sesshoumaru's study"

"I am back so it is mine now" Now Inuyasha and his father were fighting. Sesshoumaru mentally groaned as he slid out of bed trying his best to ignore everything spinning around him

"Sessh you need to rest" Kagome took his arm "Please"

"I'm fine mate" He replied as he leaned against the wall to regain himself "I need to see to the damage anyway" He then pushed off the wall and stumbled over to the door. Suddenly his legs gave way, Inutaisho caught him before he could hit the floor and supported him

"Come on son, just stay in bed"

"I don't need rest" He needed to get away from his damned parents. Somehow he managed to get out of his father's hold as he tripped through the West wing and down the stairs to where his head guard Monomaru and his comrades were negotiating amongst themselves. The head guard caught sight of his Prince's decent of the stairs and moved closer, he knew his highness was a stubborn one and wouldn't stay in bed if he had things to attend to. Just as Sesshoumaru got down the stairs Monomaru went to his side and supported him

"Now your highness what are you doing out of bed?"

"Checking on the damage" He replied as he pulled away from Monomaru "How long was Naraku there for? Before I arrived"

"A half hour at the most" He shrugged "The only damage was that he burnt a circle around the palace and we lost a few men. Other than that everything is in order. It is even good to have King Inutaisho back"

"Yes a thrill" He muttered. Monomaru saw the displeasure in his Lord's eyes but wouldn't press him, even though he and Sesshoumaru had known each other since the boy was a pup. The head healer Yuri was passing through to check on the guards when she saw Sesshoumaru out of bed, she mentally sighed and approached him

"Prince Sesshoumaru" She huffed "You are in no condition to be out of bed, your parents should be looking after you" Kagome then ran down the stairs and to her mate's side, her eyes were full of concern

"There's still a full house up there" She sighed "And they're all bickering" Yuri knew who she was on about, it would seem The King and Queen were at it again but had also dragged Inuyasha into the equation

"Why do you think I left?" Sesshoumaru sighed

"Prince Sesshoumaru I cannot stress how much you need to sleep" Yuri said looking rather worried "You may collapse at any moment and possibly fall into a small coma"

"Yeah don't start copying me" Kagome winked

"Come your highness" Yuri motioned Monomaru to help her help Sesshoumaru back upstairs and to his room. When they entered the room they found that all three of the Taisho family were still at it, they all halted when they saw Monomaru, Yuri and Kagome helping Sesshoumaru back into the room. Monomaru helped Sesshoumaru onto the bed and left with a bow. Yuri then went to the young Prince's side and ushered him under the covers, she then checked his fever and sighed "Now you have definitely got to rest, you have a small fever and I don't want to increase. Kagome keep him here will you"

"If I have to tie him down" She laughed took her place beside him. Yuri then turned to the rest of the Royal Family

"I ask that you leave your highnesses, Prince Sesshoumaru is in dire need of rest and requests that he is left alone with his mate" Nodding they reluctantly left "Wow that was easier than I thought" She mused "Do you require anything to help you sleep?" He shook his head as he pulled Kagome to lie with him "I shall check in on you in an hour" And with that she left. Kagome cuddled up to Sesshoumaru as he kissed her forehead

"How are you feeling?" She asked now that they were alone

"Tired" He admitted as he finally relaxed and wrapped his arms around her waist. She tucked her head into the crook of his neck and sighed contently

"So I guess we're having a baby"

"Are you disappointed?"

"No but I think my parents will be" She sighed "I'm only 15 Sessh, it is wrong back home to be pregnant at such a young age. I'll have to drop out of school now"

"Although personally I do not like the idea but if you wish we could find some way to get rid of the pup"

"I don't want to lose it" She met his gaze "I want this baby, I just know it will come with some prices"

"I'll stand by you all the way" He nuzzled her cheek with his and sighed contently

"I know you will" She smiled "Get some rest Sessh, we'll continue this little chat later. I'm sure you have some questions about me and your dad"

"Indeed" He yawned "Won't you get bored just laying here while I slumber?"

"When you're asleep I'll quickly go see Inuyasha and Sango and will then come back up here and have a nap" He nodded and let his eyes slide closed. He fell asleep immediately, she could tell when his grip on her loosened. This just told her how exhausted he truly was. Gently slipping out of bed Kagome kissed Sesshoumaru's cheek and went on to the sitting room to see her friends. When she entered she found everyone there, Miroku was trying to entertain the children; Kouga and his wolves were talking amongst themselves; Jen was petting Kirara and Sango was cuddled up to Inuyasha who was currently glaring at his father. When they noticed her enter they all looked up and smiled

"How is he Kagome?" Inutaisho asked

"He's asleep" She replied as she took the free seat in between Sango and Jen "I'll be going back up soon, I just wanted to check in on everyone"

"Ne Kags, would did ya say to get him to sleep?" Inuyasha asked "Ya know how stubborn he is"

"I told him I'd answer all his questions and discuss the baby when he's had a rest" She shrugged "He was pretty exhausted too, as soon as his eyes closed he was out of it"

"I can't believe your pregnant" Sango grinned as she hugged her new sister "I'm gonna be an auntie"

"Yeah I got one up, I'm gonna be a mom" Kagome laughed "I am worried about my family's reaction though"

"I know what ya mean. Your Gramps threatened me not to get you pregnant" He then shuddered "Awe poor Sesshoumaru"

"Yash she needs support not any more depression" Sango slapped his leg "I'm sure everything will be fine Kagome, Sesshoumaru will be with you all the way. And if I can I'll come with you, Inuyasha will definitely go"

"Who said?" Inuyasha groaned. Sango turned and gave him one of her warning glares

"I said" Inuyasha's ears dropped as he shrunk down

"See and you called me a pathetic when she used to give me that look" Miroku sighed. Jen smiled and turned to Kagome

"I'll help you all the way love, I'll even help with the birthing"

"Thanks Jen" Kagome then leaned forward and hugged her mother-in-law "I've now repaid you for resurrecting me" She winked

"Good thing I wasn't joking" She laughed "How does Sesshoumaru feel about this?"

"Yeah I think he's happy, he hasn't really said much though. I was telling how much I was worried and he said even though he's against the idea but if I wanted to get rid of it he'd find a way to do so. I guess that's his way of saying he wants it" She shrugged

"When he wakes he'll be more enthusiastic" Jen reassured "How about you Inuyasha? How do you feel about being an uncle?"

"As long as the brat doesn't look like its dad I'll be alright"

"Sit" He then crashed to the floor "Jerk, Sesshoumaru is ten times better looking than you are"

"I agree" Sango joked "But I have a thing for doggy ears" She then helped Inuyasha up off the floor and kissed his cheek

"I'm happy for you Kagome" Kouga smiled "And if your pup happens to be female and looks exactly like you I'll marry her" He winked

"You better be joking Kouga" Inutaisho frowned "You're just like your father, a womaniser"

"You knew my dad?" Kouga asked

"Yes" He replied "Your father was a close friend of mine, I thought Sesshoumaru would have told you"

"Sesshoumaru doesn't like Kouga" Kagome awkwardly said "He's overly possessive and Kouga likes me so you know"

"That's understandable" Inutaisho smiled "It is natural for Sesshoumaru to feel that way, I can see he loves you just by the way he looks at you"

"Well I hope he does after he got me pregnant and marked me" Kagome mused "And he's lucky I love him back" Rin then ran over to Kagome and tugged at her jeans. Kagome lifted the infant into her lap and kissed her forehead "What's wrong honey?"

"Is Prince Sesshoumaru going to be okay? I don't want him to die"

"He's going to be fine. You can go see him tomorrow"

"Thank you Kagome" Jen then pulled Rin into her own lap that shocked Inutaisho, his mate hated humans "Queen Jen can you play with me and Shippo in the gardens tomorrow?"

"Of course love" Jen replied with a warm smile "We'll go have a picnic"

"Yay" Rin beamed as she kissed the youkai's cheek "You're like the grandmother I never had"

"Yeah me too" Shippo grinned from Miroku's lap

"Then you both may address me as your grandmother" She replied "Do you look at Kagome as a mother?"

"Yep" They beamed

"And Sesshoumaru as a father?"

"Yes, Prince Sesshoumaru always looks out for me" Rin giggled

"Sometimes" Shippo shrugged "When he's not scaring the life out of me" He then turned to Kagome "Since you and Sesshoumaru are mates now am I still allowed to hug you?"

"Of course silly" Kagome laughed "Why would you think that?"

"Because Sesshoumaru might not want me to"

"I doubt he'd mind" She smiled "And even if he did I'd still hug you, he won't boss me around" She winked

"That's most probably part of the reason why he loves you so much" Jen mused "He knows damn well you won't subdue to him and you have a fiery attitude, he likes a challenge"

"Yes I agree" She laughed "I am a formidable opponent"

"...in the bedroom" Inuyasha snickered. Sango whacked him on the head before Kagome could 'sit' him

"Kagome, has Sesshoumaru asked about how you knew about me?" Inutaisho asked

"Not yet, I told him I'd answer all of that after he slept" She then stood and stretched "I better get back to him, if he wakes and I'm not there he'll get up"

"What you're just gonna sit there?" Inuyasha asked

"Of course not, I'm going to have a nap"

"It's only the afternoon" He shrieked

"Yeah but its been a long day and I don't want to leave Sesshoumaru on his own. I'll catch you all at dinner" She then headed upstairs and down the West wing. She entered her mate's chambers to find Yuri pressing a flannel to his brow, she noticed Kagome's presence, turned and smiled

"I was just helping with his fever" She whispered "It's hardly nothing but I'm a worrier, especially when it comes to this ungrateful pup"

"I know what you mean" Kagome winked as she kicked off her shoes and lay beside her mate. Yuri then removed the flannel and placed it on the bedside table

"That should do it" She stood "If his fever picks up just cool him down again, it shouldn't but just in case it does"

"No problem" Kagome smiled as she cuddled up to her mate. Yuri nodded and left. She made her way downstairs and into the sitting room to inform her majesties how their son was doing. She entered the sitting room and bowed

"Yuri?" Jen asked suddenly concerned "Is Sesshoumaru alright?"

"I've just come to tell you that he is fine, he had a fever earlier but now it had calmed" She smiled "Forgive me for speaking out of line but I suggest that you try not to argue around him, he is still recovering and an argument between his parents could cause him distress. He needs plenty of rest so if something like that did occur it could possibly increase his fever and make him rather ill"

"I understand" Jen smiled "Just look after him"

"You know I will" She smiled back "I've come to think of him as my grandson"

"Well you are his godmother, it is natural for you to feel like that. Plus you helped me raise him"

"Was that a dig?" Inutaisho asked rather annoyed "I raised him too Jen"

"And here we go again" Inuyasha sighed as he stood "Come on Sango, we'll go for a walk in the garden"

"Yeah and Kouga, Ginta, Hakkaku and myself with take the children outside to play" Miroku said as he and the wolves escaped with the children

"See you at dinner" Inuyasha said more to Jen as he and Sango left. Jen waved them off and turned back to Inutaisho

"It wasn't a dig at all" She frowned "You just love arguing. Well sorry to disappoint but I refuse to do so with you, my son comes first. I actually care about him"

"You know damn well I care about him"

"You _did, _but then you met Izayoi. I'm sure if you ask him on the matter he'll say the same thing" And with that Jen turned and left. Inutaisho growled and stood

"What is she doing back in the palace anyway?" He asked Yuri "I banished her"

"Prince Sesshoumaru brought her back my Lord, it is only natural for him to want a family member around" Yuri then bowed and went back to the her fellow healers. Inutaisho sighed and headed to the West wing, he needed to check on his pup. A fatherly urge took over him. When he arrived outside Sesshoumaru's chambers he slowly creaked open the door to see that both of the teenagers were asleep. He quietly entered and stood at his son's bedside. He gently pressed his hand against his pup's forehead to see if he had a fever, thankfully he didn't which eased the King. He was worried about him, from the way Sesshoumaru acted earlier he certainly hated him. He was afraid of that and needed to speak with his son on the matter. Sighing softly Inutaisho removed his hand and left to the study...

About an hour before dinner Sesshoumaru woke feeling a lot better than he had earlier been, yes he did still feel rather drained but it was something he could put up with. He knew by tomorrow morning he'd be back to his old self. Deciding to get out of bed the young Prince sat up and almost jumped a mile when he heard his mate behind him "And what are you doing up Sesshoumaru?" He turned to find his mate sitting at his desk reading a book

"I need to move around some, if I don't then I will hardly sleep tonight"

"True" She contemplated as she stood. She made her way over to him and jumped into his lap "But before you go anywhere you need to give the mother of your child a kiss"

"How could I possibly turn that down?" He smirked as he slithered his arms around her waist and leaned in for a passionate kiss. He pulled her closer against him and moaned when she opened her mouth for him, not needing to be told twice he slipped his tongue into her mouth and deepened the kiss. His hand then slid from her waist to her thigh as he pressed himself up against her. He was about to push her down onto the bed and take her when his door opened

"Shouldn't you be resting?" They both immediately parted to find Jen standing in the doorway looking rather amused "I didn't knock because I assumed you were both still asleep, I guess I was wrong" She laughed "Kagome you shouldn't encourage him"

"I know, naughty me" She laughed as she tapped her own wrist "Sesshoumaru you should punish me"

"That I'll gladly do" He smirked. Jen rolled her eyes and playfully tapped her son's head

"Well I can see you're well enough for a quick tumble" Kagome slipped out of his lap and settled with sitting beside him. Jen then checked Sesshoumaru's fever and smiled relieved "Well at least you're better. Dinner is in an hour, do you think you're up to it?"

"Heh I wonder who will be sitting at the top of the table" Sesshoumaru scowled

"We can have dinner in your study if you prefer" Jen offered "I don't particularly want to be around your father so I'd rather your study"

"Yes I can then see to my duties at the same time"

"I don't think so" She sighed "You're not doing any work today, you can do that tomorrow when you're fit and healthy. You need to take it easy for now, I can see you're not back to your old self yet and you're still a little pale"

"Fine" He huffed

"You're such a big kid" Kagome laughed "I have two children now"

"Don't worry I'll help you" Jen mused "I raised one of them so I'll help you raise the other"

"You say that as if I was hard to raise" Sesshoumaru raised a silken brow "I don't recall ever misbehaving"

"Except for bath time" She saw Kagome stifle a giggle and smirked

"Well I was a pup then"

"And in my eyes you're still a pup and you always will be to me" She kissed his forehead knowing he wouldn't bat her away "How about you get dressed into some clean clothes and we will all go for a walk in the garden before dinner? You could do with the fresh air"

"That sounds efficient" Sesshoumaru replied "Then would you mind waiting outside so I can change?"

"He acts as if I haven't seen him naked before" Jen laughed to Kagome "Doesn't he remember who used to bathe him?"

"I do now" Kagome mused

"I don't recall you complaining" Sesshoumaru smirked when he saw Kagome blush. Jen smirked and left the bedroom to let her only pup change. Sesshoumaru slid out of bed and went to his wardrobe, he pulled out a simple white haori with blue patterns and pulled out a matching obi and hakama. He quickly changed not really caring if Kagome saw him. She was blushing slightly still not used to seeing him undressed, Sesshoumaru saw this and smirked. Once he was dressed he walked over to her and pulled her to her feet "Perhaps tonight you could honour me by showing me your body?"

"Perhaps tomorrow when you're feeling better" She smiled softly "I'm not comfortable though"

"I'll help you feel comfortable showing your body around me, you have nothing to be ashamed of"

"I'm just nervous" She sighed "We'll continue this later when your mother isn't waiting for us outside your chambers"

"Our chambers" He corrected "Kagome, Princess of Japan" He pecked her lips as they left their chambers and met up with Jen

"Now Sesshoumaru if you even a tad bit dizzy let me know, okay? I don't want you collapsing"

"I'm fine mother" They all then entered the Royal gardens to find everyone besides Inutaisho outside. As soon as Rin saw Sesshoumaru she bolted over to him and tugged at his hakama

"Prince Sesshoumaru" She beamed "How are you feeling my Lord?" Sesshoumaru patted her head and smiled softly

"I'm feeling much better" He didn't want to pick her up as he admittedly was still a little weak and didn't want to go collapsing with her in his arms. He then sent her off to play with Shippo, Miroku and the wolves as they made their way over to Inuyasha and Sango who were currently cuddling under a cherry blossom tree

"Hey what are you doing up?" Inuyasha smiled when he saw his big brother "I thought you'd be out of it until tomorrow"

"Please he struggles to stay in bed at night" Kagome mused "Never mind a full 24 hours"

"Hn" They all then sat down on the soft grass beside Inuyasha and Sango and began to talk some "Were you wounded at all?"

"No I was only fighting Kagura" He shrugged "You had it worse"

"He's not as bad as he makes out" Jen mused "They were about to have a tumble just now"

"What are you some sex crazed beast or something?" Inuyasha laughed

"Well my beast does crave for it" Sesshoumaru smirked as he pulled Kagome to lie in his lap

"I'm not complaining" Kagome shrugged from his lap

"How are you feeling Prince Sesshoumaru?" Sango asked as Inuyasha wrapped his arm around her

"Better" He replied "Inuyasha has told you before Sango, you do not need to use titles with anyone in this family. You are apart of this family now"

"Yeah Princess Sango" Kagome giggled "And Inuyasha needs an heir" She winked

"I'd like a few actually" Inuyasha grinned "And I'm sure Sesshoumaru would too Kagome"

"Well I have to obey the heir to the throne of Japan" She reached up and traced the magenta stripes on his cheek "I hope our baby has these" Her finger then reached to his crescent moon causing her to sit up slightly "And this" She then grinned "And it will most definitely have to have your eyes"

"As long as it acts like you I don't mind" He then pulled her up and kissed her softly

"Oh Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru; Kagome and I are going to be eating in the study tonight"

"Yeah no problem, I guess it's for the best since you don't get on with my dad" Inuyasha shrugged "And it'll be easier for you Sessh, you might get dizzy" Inutaisho then entered the garden to find his eldest out of bed, he frowned. He didn't like this, his son should be resting not gossiping. He walked over to the small group and stood in front of them

"Pup what are you doing out of bed? It is not good for your health" Sesshoumaru met his father's gaze

"Mother proposed that the fresh air would do me good" He replied as Kagome sat up properly

"I see" He shot a small glare to Jen "Then may I have a private word with you?"

"Could it wait?" The young Prince asked "I wish to have dinner first"

"Of course" He smiled trying to show his son that he held compassion "Perhaps we should go to dinner now then since it is being served"

"I'll be having dinner in my study tonight along with Kagome and mother" Inutaisho then frowned

"I hope you do not plan on doing any work"

"I forbid him from doing such" Jen smugly stepped in "He is in no condition to work" Inutaisho nodded and walked away without another word "Asshole"

"Jen!" Kagome gapped

"Well he is" She huffed "And a..." But was cut off by Kagome covering her stomach "What are you doing?"

"I don't want my unborn child to hear such language"

"Kagome it hasn't even began to develop yet" Jen laughed "I doubt you have to worry about that" She then sighed "Well come on then, you two go on up to the study and I'll have the servants bring us up some dinner" Jen stood and dusted herself off "Sango, Inuyasha I may see you later" She then went inside to the kitchen

"See you later" Kagome hugged both Sango and Inuyasha as she stood with Sesshoumaru

"What I don't get a hug?" Inuyasha playfully pouted at his brother "Well that's just charming"

"Big pup" Sesshoumaru pulled his ear "Take that as my sign of affection to you" He then wrapped his arm around Kagome and began walking back to the palace

"Hey what about showing Sango some affection?" Inuyasha called. Sesshoumaru stopped and turned to his brother with a smirk on his face

"By all means Inuyasha if she wants it I shall meet her in my chambers tonight with Kagome" When he heard his brother growl he chuckled. He turned back around and moved to the study

"Awe Sessh must you tease him?" Kagome laughed "And I'm the only girl who gets to sleep in your bed"

"What about Rin when she has a nightmare? Or if our pup is a girl?"

"I may make an exception then" She winked. When they arrived at the study they found Jen already there with three rice bowls and numerous other foods along with tea on the desk "How did you get here before us?"

"Super speed" She mused "Part of the pleasures of being an inuyoukai" Sesshoumaru then took his place behind his desk as the girls pulled up a chair either side of him and joined him.

After dinner a servant had come in and taken away the leftovers, now the three of them were just talking amongst themselves. It was a very comfortable atmosphere so Kagome began to tell Sesshoumaru how she and Inutaisho met before his resurrection "When Naraku killed me and threw me down to hell I should have endured torture for the rest of my life. I did endure some of it but your father then just came out of nowhere and saved me, he told me who was and that he was planning on returning. He told me not to breathe a word just in case Naraku was around, personally I think he wanted to surprise you"

"He succeeded in that" He muttered under his breath "Did he say anything about me?"

"He asked me how you were" She smiled "He was worried"

"Why?" The question startled her slightly "He never cared before"

"Sessh?" But before he could continue there was a knock at the door and Inutaisho entered

"If I'm not interrupting could we have that private word?" Sesshoumaru nodded and turned to his mate

"Where will you be?"

"Your mother and I will most probably go and gossip with Sango and Inuyasha" Kagome then stood. She then leaned down and kissed Sesshoumaru on the lips. She then pulled away as Jen came over and linked her arm "See you soon"

"You too" The girls then left but not without Jen giving Inutaisho a warning glare. The daiyoukai simple ignored it as he took his seat in front of Sesshoumaru

"It feels odd sitting in front of this desk rather than behind it" He mused as he met his son's hard golden gaze, sighing he sat forward "I'd like to discuss the situation on the beach before my passing"

"Our last conversation?" He asked with a risen brow

"Yes, and I'd like to apologize for leaving you with your mother" Sesshoumaru frowned at that

"Living with mother was no problem, in fact I found life a damn lot easier with just one parent" He lied on that last part

"Sessh I truly am sorry. I realize I shouldn't have left you at such a young age but you were mature enough and I couldn't abandon your brother and mate"

"You had no problem doing it with me" He muttered. Obviously though Inutaisho's sensitive ears picked it up

"I didn't mean to make you feel abandoned, that was never my intention" He knew the conversation wasn't going to be easy "I was selfish I admit but do you honestly believe that I would sit there and let my mate and pup get killed?"

"You could have sent Monomaru and some guards to dispatch the humans and bring the damned woman and Inuyasha here. Instead you wanted to play the role of hero knowing damn well that you'd most probably die and leave us" He then frowned "Why would you betray mother for a human anyway?"

"We fell out of love Sesshoumaru, she was too cold and dark. Izayoi was the complete opposite, I couldn't help falling in love with her pup. It's the same with you and Kagome" Inutaisho explained

"It's not the same" Sesshoumaru growled "I didn't leave any mate with a child to run off with another. You hardly ever came home after you met her and you...changed"

"How did I change?"

"You went cold on me and only wanted to see me for training sessions. You didn't have time for either mother or myself any more" Inutaisho hadn't realized he had made his pup feel like that. He knew he had gone a little firmer for Sesshoumaru because he knew his son would benefit from it but he never meant to hurt him "I know you don't look at me as your son but as your heir, I've learnt to live with it"

"Sesshoumaru..." He was shocked. Of course he looked at him as a son, he loved him. He was his pup, his first born. He actually knew this pup. He never looked at him as just his heir, in fact he would normally forget about that and spent his free time playing with him. How had he managed to hurt his pup without noticing? He knew his son wasn't one to be dramatic so since he confessed to him it must have been eating at him for a long time

"Don't worry about it" Sesshoumaru then stood from his desk, he felt the sudden urge to vomit when the room began spinning again. He ignored it and headed to the door

"Sesshoumaru" Inutaisho stood and grabbed his son's arm "I never meant for you to feel like that. I love you pup, I admit I went firm but that was only because you'd benefit from it plus I found you'd turned rather cold and arrogant. Most probably thanks to your mother"

"It wasn't mother" Sesshoumaru snapped as he pulled from his father's hold "It was you. I trusted you more than anyone, even mother and then you shunned me, it wasn't her fault at all. All she did was fuel my anger towards humans. I admit she was hard on me but at least she didn't ignore or shun me, at least she was there for me. And at least she didn't leave me!" Jen had been currently passing the study when she heard her son's outburst, he'd never done such a thing since he was a pup. Concerned she barged into the study demanding to know what was going on

"Keep out of this" Inutaisho growled "Sesshoumaru it was never my intention..."

"As you keep saying" Sesshoumaru cut him off "You were just too caught up between that whore's legs to even open your eyes" Ignoring the comment his son made about Izayoi he sighed, Sesshoumaru was beyond angry. He had never spoken to him like this before, he never dared to.

"I didn't realize I caused you so much grief pup, but if you just came to me and told me this wouldn't be happening"

"Don't try to turn it back on him" Jen growled "Don't make out it is his fault"

"I'm not" He growled back "I was just saying"

"How could he possibly go to you if you weren't there?!"

"Just keep your mouth shut Jen this has nothing to do with you"

"This has everything to do with her" Sesshoumaru growled not liking how he was speaking to his mother, he found the room was beginning to spin even faster "Did you even consider how she would feel after you betrayed her for a human? No, it most probably wasn't your intention to hurt her either"

"I'm trying to patch things up with you, not your mother" Inutaisho stated "I don't want to lose you over the events that happened in the past. You're very precious to me my son, you and Inuyasha are my world even if he doesn't see it yet"

"I'm sure Inuyasha fills your heart more" He spat "You need to protect your little hanyou"

"Yes I do but I also need to protect you. How can I prove how much you mean to me? I could have just let you die today but I didn't. Hell Sesshoumaru you were supposed to die today, the Gods said if I intervened there would be hell to pay. I ignored the threats from a God to save your ass, for all I know my life could be sapped from me at any moment" Sesshoumaru gapped at his father in disbelief. He had actually risked that for him? He actually ignored a God to save him? His head was spinning even more

"I'm sure you only did it because there were witnesses, you wouldn't look so high and mighty if you arrived and let your son die" Jen huffed "You just love the publicity"

"That's not true. I love Sesshoumaru just as much as you, dare I say even more. I..." He was cut off when he saw Sesshoumaru begin to fall backwards. Immediately he caught him as he kneeled him him. The boy was unconscious. Jen was at her son's side worrying like no tomorrow

"I'll go get Yuri" She cried as she ran from the study. Inutaisho held his son close and almost gasped when he saw a single tear slide down his pup's cheek, when he heard Yuri and Jen he wiped the tear away knowing that Sesshoumaru wouldn't want to be seen crying. Yuri entered with a frantic Jen as she kneeled beside Sesshoumaru and examined him, her hand went to his forehead and she immediately frowned. She looked up at both the inuyoukai letting her aura flared slightly

"His fever is worse than earlier. You both stressed him out" She growled not caring that she was a simple healer and they her masters "I told you what would become of him yet you ignored me" She then looked at Inutaisho "I suggest you carry him to his chambers so I can assess him" Her gaze then moved to Jen "And you should tell Kagome what you two have just done to her mate and father of her unborn child" She then headed on ahead to Sesshoumaru's chambers. Inutaisho lifted Sesshoumaru into his arms and stood, he then began to carry his son off to his room whilst Jen ran to find Kagome.

Kagome was in Inuyasha's room with Sango giggling away as they talked over their jewel shard hunting "What about that time when Sango got drunk and came onto me? That was funny"

"And when Kagome, Shippo and Hachi began singing away to who knows what" Sango added

"Yeah? Well what about the time when Inuyasha got possessed and almost raped Shippo" Kagome laughed. Just as they were about to continue Jen entered with her eyes full of fear "Jen?"

"Kagome you need to come immediately" She tried to catch her breath "Sesshoumaru's collapsed"

"What?!" Kagome shot up from her bed and ran down to her chambers with Inuyasha, Sango and Jen following behind. She practically dived into the room and felt tears threaten to fall "What happened?" She was at his side opposite Yuri and Inutaisho, she took her mate's hand and stroked his face "Sesshoumaru wake up"

"He collapsed after a fight broke out between the King and Queen, whatever happened stressed him out and caused his fever to rise" Yuri explained

"Will he be alright?" She whimpered

"It would seem so" She sighed as she used the flannel in her hand to wipe the sweat from Sesshoumaru's brow "Ever since you touched him he's began to calm down. I need you to stay here for the night"

"Of course" She leaned down and kissed his cheek "Wake up please"

"What's your problem?" Inuyasha snapped at Inutaisho and Jen "If you knew he couldn't take any stress at the moment why did you fight?"

"Inuyasha now is not the time" Sango soothed "You need to be here for your brother" Inuyasha nodded as they went and sat beside Kagome

"How could get a fever anyway?" Kagome asked "Youkai don't usually get sick"

"He's very vulnerable at the moment, he almost died today. This resulted in his body weakening along with his immune system, even a common cold could be fatal to him"

"You can help him though? Right Yuri?"

"Yes Kagome he should be fine now that you are here. You very presence is calming him down, his fever is also going down slightly" Just as she said this the young Prince began to stir slightly as his eyes half opened. He looked up at Kagome rather confused

"Where am I?" His voice was hoarse and barely a whisper

"Back in our room" Kagome tried to smile as best she could "You collapsed love, you have a high fever"

"Hmm" He sighed "I felt it coming on in the study earlier"

"Awe Sessh, why didn't you tell me?" Inutaisho placed his hand on top of Sesshoumaru's sweat ridden head "I would have brought you here straight away, I would have waited until tomorrow to finish our conversation"

"I was angry" He coughed some, he felt really weak. He couldn't recall ever feeling this weak even when he was child he never got this ill

"I'm sorry" Inutaisho sighed "This is all my fault, I should have waited until you get better. I should have known better than to bring up subjects that would stress you out" Sesshoumaru looked up at his father through his half lidded eyes

"Could we continue that now?" Inutaisho looked down at his son in disbelief, the boy wanted to continue a conversation that he was in no state to discuss

"No pup, you're very ill and need to rest. I won't allow myself to hurt you further" His hand then slipped from his head to his shoulder, he gave a small squeeze "You need to sleep before we continue with anything"

"King Inutaisho, could you sit Prince Sesshoumaru up so that he can take this medicine?" Yuri asked as she held a small drinking bowl in her hand. Inutaisho nodded and gently pulled his son into a sitting position, he then put one hand around his pup's waist whilst he used the other to take the bowl from Yuri. Then then brought it to his son's lips, Sesshoumaru inhaled the substance and recoiled. He was going to vomit if he had to drink that "I know it is not good on your sensitive nose but it will help bring your fever down"

"I'll vomit" He groaned as he acted childishly and shrunk away from the bowl. Inutaisho held him firmly

"Sesshoumaru, you won't get better if you don't take this. Just knock it back. If you do not take this then we cannot continue with our conversation" Grimacing Sesshoumaru reluctantly nodded and Inutaisho pressed the bowl to his lips, the young Prince almost gagged when the medicine slid down his throat. Not only did it smell foul it tasted foul and it didn't help that it burnt his throat. He could usually take anything so minor as this and that's what irritated him the most, he felt so gad damn weak and helpless. Inutaisho sensed his son's distress and let his chest rumble to sooth the boy. He then pull the now empty bowl from his son's lips and handed it to Yuri, he then lay his son down whose eyelids began to feel incredibly heavy. Annoyed he loud a growl as he turned on his side and wrapped his arm around Kagome's waist "He's over exhausted, his beast has even come out and clutched to Kagome out of pure instinct" Sesshoumaru nuzzled into his mate as he closed his eyes, almost immediately he fell asleep leaving Kagome to gently run her fingers through his silver hair

"I believe we should leave Sesshoumaru rest" Jen whispered, careful not to wake her son. Everyone nodded and left besides Kagome and Inuyasha. Before the hanyou left he pressed his forehead against Sesshoumaru's and let out a reassuring growl, his beast was telling him to do so. With that he leaned back up and left whilst saying his goodnight to Kagome. The young miko then wriggled down into the bed and let Sesshoumaru tuck his head into the crook of her neck. She knew how much he hated feeling weak and vulnerable but she was determined to look after him. She loved him. Deciding to retire for the night she checked his fever and went to sleep...

**Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter**

**It took me most of the evening to do all of this lol**

**Reviews please :)**

**Inuyashasesshy4eva**

**xXx**


	17. Picking Up The Pieces

Chapter Seventeen – Picking Up The Pieces

Sesshoumaru was contently sleeping as he cuddled up to his mate, he was in between the border of consciousness and sleep. He was drained. He didn't want to wake up but he kept hearing little whispers. It was damn annoying. The only thing he found soothing was a hand tracing circles over his wrist. Groaning he opened his golden gaze to meet the matching eyes of his younger brother. Inuyasha's eyes moved from Kagome's when he saw Sesshoumaru stir, he looked down at his big brother and smirked "Finally awake then"

"What are you doing in my room?" He took in his surroundings to find he was still in his bed chambers currently laying with his head pressing up against a sitting Kagome, she was holding him closely to help calm his fever

"Well sorry for being worried" Inuyasha huffed. Sesshoumaru smirked tiredly and tilted his head up to meet Kagome's sea-green eyes, she then leaned down and pecked his lips

"How long have I been asleep?"

"Well let's put it this way" Kagome smiled "It's lunchtime" Sesshoumaru's eyes widened slightly as he groaned "You still look rather tired Sessh, why don't you get some more sleep?"

"No" He yawned as he pulled himself up from her hold, he settled with sitting beside her and stretched "I'll be alright now" He then recalled all of last night's events, from the argument to falling back into a deep sleep "Inuyasha, did you...press your head against mine last night?"

"Keh my beast wanted to comfort yours" He shrugged "Ya worried me Sessh"

"Awe that's so cute" Kagome squealed suddenly ruining the moment "See I always knew you two would make up"

"Gee Kags calm it down" Inuyasha laughed "What can't I be concerned for my own brother? Is it a crime?"

"Nope" She grinned and turned to Sesshoumaru "Are you hungry? Thirsty? Do you want a bath? Need a walk? Or..." He cut her off by pressing his lips to hers

"I'm fine Kagome, there's no need to worry"

"Yeah don't worry unless you hear Jen and Dad nearing together" Inuyasha snorted "Or just dad"

"Just because I have problems with him doesn't mean that you should ignore him" Sesshoumaru stated as he lay his head on Kagome's shoulder "You two can build a relationship, he hasn't done anything to you. Don't think that you can't have a father because of me"

"To be honest Sessh after what you told me I don't think I want a father" Inuyasha replied with a sigh "He'd treat me the same most probably, you said yourself he'd be hard on me because I'm a hanyou"

"Yes, I did say that but his attitude seems different. The argument I had with him last night made me think twice about him"

"Are you saying you forgive your father?" Kagome asked "What did he do to you anyway?"

"Let's just put it this way, I was his heir not his son" Sesshoumaru answered "I don't know if I'm going to forgive him, I guess I need more proof"

"So do I" Inuyasha huffed "I want a father not this asshole"

"Yash you've got to give him a chance first" Kagome sighed "I can see he's trying to get your attention, he wants to show you some affection"

"Feh" He turned his head away in a mood. Ignoring his brother Sesshoumaru leaned up from Kagome's shoulder as he placed his hand over her stomach, she looked at him when she saw him smile

"What are you smiling about?"

"We're having a pup" He kissed her cheek just as Inuyasha turned back to face them "Have you been feeling sick at all?"

"Nope" She grinned "So you're happy about having a baby with me?"

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

"It'll be a youkai, won't it? Naraku proved that when your blood didn't open the seal. But how can it be a youkai with my spiritual powers?"

"We should ask Yuri after, she may know" Sesshoumaru replied as he kissed her shoulder "Come on, I want to get out of bed"

"Are ya sure you're up to it?" Inuyasha asked as he stood

"Yes, and don't worry. If I feel uneasy at all I'll sit down" Sesshoumaru then slipped out of the bed and slowly stood, relieved he felt no dizziness "If you want I'll meet you both downstairs, I wish to bathe before I do anything"

"I'll join you" Kagome grinned as she stood

"And while you two do that I think I'll go look for Sango" Inuyasha cringed "I don't fancy bathing with ya"

"Neither would I enjoy your company in the hot spring" Sesshoumaru mused "Where will you be when we emerge?"

"How about the sitting room? I know Sango and Kagome will want to gossip about the pup so I guess we'll just end up being dragged into the conversation anyway" Inuyasha shrugged "And I guess we can discuss some strategies for finding Naraku"

"Sounds like a good idea" The young Prince nodded "We shouldn't be long"

"Take ya time" The hanyou laughed as he headed to the door "Catch ya later" And with that Inuyasha left. Kagome then turned to Sesshoumaru and caught his hand

"Come along darling" She winked "It would seem we haven't had any alone time in a little while" Kagome then dragged Sesshoumaru into their private hot spring. Acting rather discreet and pretending to forget Kagome stripped off right in front of her mate and seductively slipped into the hot spring. She then turned in his direction and licked her lips "The water's just right"

"I'm sure it is" Sesshoumaru smirked. He then stripped off and immediately joined her. He swam right over to her and pressed his lips roughly against hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he pushed her up against the wall of the spring, she moaned against his lips and gasped when she felt something hard poke at her thigh "Do you see what you and your body do to me?" He then pressed himself against her as he licked the shell of her ear "Hmm it's been too long"

"It's been like two or three days" She laughed

"Yes" He breathed huskily "Too long" Kagome felt shivers trail down her spine as she moaned

"Do you feel up to this? I mean you still look a bit pale"

"I want you" He ground himself against her "I'm not going to let some fever get in the way"

"I don't want you to hurt yourself"

"I'm fine Kagome" He began to trail kisses down her neck "Just let me take you and worship every inch of you" Shuddering from his ministrations Kagome nodded and wrapped her legs around his waist just as he entered her. She let out a satisfied moan as she latched onto the tip of his elfin ear

"Sessh...hn..." Sesshoumaru began to thrust in and out of her at a fast and hard speed, he loved how Kagome was moaning in his ear and begging for more. He needed to do this to her more often. Smirking arrogantly he let his hands trail up her body and to her breasts "...ah" She gasped when she felt him touch her, she didn't realize it could feel so good "H-harder" She pleaded as she attempted meeting his thrusts "...please" Slipping his hands to her waist for support he began to pound into her with inhuman speed but was careful not to hurt her. Kagome moaned loudly as she pulled back and gazed into his now crimson eyes. Even his beast looked incredibly attractive. She leaned forward and captured his lips as she tangled her fingers up in his hair. When she felt him nibbling on her bottom lip she opened her mouth and let his tongue explore her, she moaned into his mouth when she felt the pleasure increasing to its end. She then ripped her mouth from him and panted hard "I...I..." She threw her head back and arched into him

"Mine" He growled when he felt his release nearing.

"Ah..." She cried in bliss as she hit her climax. When he felt her walls clamp down around him he couldn't help but release into her, he groaned loudly as he sunk his fangs into the mating mark on her neck

"Sesshoumaru" She shivered in bliss as she rode out her climax, feeling both pleasure and pain was simply wonderful. They stayed like that for a little while just trying to regain their breath and come down from their highs. Sesshoumaru let himself relax as he returned to his normal self, he hadn't meant to let his beast out and was now afraid that he'd hurt his mate. He pulled his fangs from her neck and began to look over her with a worried expression, Kagome saw this and caressed his face to reassure him "I'm fine" She panted "You were both incredible" She then leaned up and pecked his lips "You really know how to show a girl a good time"

"Hmm" He caught his breath "I try my best" Hissing he withdrew from her as he stopped himself from taking her again. She dropped her legs from his waist and released him completely "Did you enjoy that miko?"

"Most definitely" She grinned. She then reached for the soap and began to wash her mate, she ran her hands all over his toned chest and arms making sure she touched as much of him as possible. He then rinsed himself off and began to wash her, he was glad that she'd allowed him to see her body. Now he just had to show her that there was nothing to hide or fear. He planned on doing that tonight, he was going to worship every inch of her beautiful body "Don't forget to wash the baby" She giggled

"My apologies, and it's a pup" He corrected playfully as he rubbed his soapy hand over her stomach

"We're having a puppy? Gee that sounds weird"

"It's a pup not a puppy" He mused "It's not a unintelligent dog, it's an inuyoukai"

"Still a dog though, like its father" She teased. Playfully growling he lifted her by her waist and threw her under the water. Kagome immediately shot up and began spluttering "What is it with you and throwing me into the water? That has to be the second or third time you've done that"

"I am just simply punishing my mate" He swam up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist "She has to learn who her alpha is"

"You're looking at her" She winked "But I'll let you be alpha tonight if you want"

"How generous" He sarcastically replied. He then kissed her neck and nuzzled her cheek "I believe we have been in here long enough, Inuyasha will definitely know what we've been up to now"

"If he says anything I'll just 'sit' him" She grinned. They both then got out of the spring, wrapped a bath robe around themselves and proceeded off to their chambers. When they entered their room Sesshoumaru slipped into his usual attire whereas Kagome changed into another pair of skinny jeans along with a pink halter neck top that she had brought in earlier when Sesshoumaru was sleeping, she knew he'd want a bath so she decided to save herself the trouble of leaving him to change. Once they were both dressed and ready Sesshoumaru took Kagome's hand and headed to the sitting room.

When they entered they found Inuyasha and Sango chatting amongst themselves, no one else were there which was kind of strange. Inuyasha caught them entering and grinned "Well..."

"If you say anything I'll S.I.T you" Inuyasha laughed but kept his mouth shut "Where were you when Inuyasha was in our room Sango?"

"Walking the gardens with Jen" Sango replied as she snuggled up to Inuyasha "She was asking me if I was going to have any children soon"

"What did you say?"

"I haven't planned anything" She shrugged "Is your mother obsessed with children of something Pr...uh...Sesshoumaru?"

"Apparently" Sesshoumaru smirked as he sat down on one of the couches, Kagome took her place beside him and pecked his lips

"We need to travel back to my time soon" Kagome began "I need to tell my mom and it would be encouraging to have you all with me"

"Of course mate" Sesshoumaru kissed her cheek "I'll stand by you"

"Yeah so will I...just from a safe distance" Inuyasha muttered "Oh and Sessh, I suggest you hide behind Kagome when you meet her Gramps. He doesn't like youkai and will throw defective sutras at you"

"Gramps said he's more than happy for me to mate Sesshoumaru" Kagome reminded "He said as long as it was Sesshoumaru he didn't mind, but I can't be with any of youkai"

"How do you think your mother is going to react?" Sango asked "From what you've said I doubt she'll be pleased"

"I think she'll be a bit disappointed about it first but she's very encouraging. I'm sure it'll blow over, it's just Gramps I've gotta worry about"

"Ya know while you tell your mom, can I go upstairs and play with Souta?" Inuyasha asked "I don't want to see your Gramps go mad...er"

"No you will stand beside Kagome like the rest of us" Sango huffed "You're lucky my parents are gone otherwise you'd be dead by now"

"Yeah but that's the thing, if they were still around I'd introduce myself on the night of the new moon" Inuyasha cockily grinned "We'd get away with it then"

"And how would you explain your hanyou child?" Sesshoumaru smirked

"We'll just show it on its human night"

"You honestly believe her parents would wait until that night? Don't you think they'd get suspicious? It would always be the same date"

"Well...uh...awe just shut it Sesshoumaru, you're the one in the dog house not me" Inuyasha huffed "I don't have to worry about any of that"

"Could you imagine if Naraku wished the demon slayer village back just to get to Inuyasha" Kagome laughed "Now that I'd pay to see"

"I wouldn't" Sango mused "My father would kill me, in my village the women had to marry the men who were slayers. My father would have had all the men fight each other and have the strongest marry me"

"Feh and then I'd come in and beat the winner" Inuyasha grinned "No one messes with my woman" He then wrapped his arms around Sango waist and kissed her lips

"Get a room" Kagome laughed "If Rin and Shippo see that they'll be scarred" As she said this there was a knock on the door and Inutaisho entered

"Inuyasha I..." But he trailed off when he saw Sesshoumaru "What are you doing up pup? You should be in bed"

"I'm fine father" The young Prince replied as he met his father's gaze

"You said that yesterday and you collapsed, I know it was my fault but still"

"I assure you, I feel no dizziness whatsoever" Inutaisho then walked over to his eldest, leaned forward and placed his hand against his forehead

"Well you have no fever" He retracted his hand and pondered "I still don't like you being out of bed so early"

"It's lunchtime"

"I know but..., then again you could do with some nourishment. Shall we all go to lunch then?"

"Yep" Kagome and Sango grinned as they jumped to their feet. Sesshoumaru nodded and stood

"Ya sure ya not just gonna scream at him again?" Inuyasha snorted as he walked passed his father "If ya feel dizzy Sessh let me know" The hanyou then walked out without another word

"Why is he so difficult?" Inutaisho groaned. Sesshoumaru motioned the girls to go on ahead "I haven't done anything to him, and why is he so protective of you? I watched over both of you from the heavens and I know damn well you two hate each other"

"Inuyasha and I get along now" Sesshoumaru replied as they slowly made their way to the dining room "We no longer see any reason to fight"

"I see"

"And he is being difficult because he knows of the past, he doesn't want to go through all of that"

"You told him?" Inutaisho frowned slightly

"He asked me and I answered him"

"Hmm" Inutaisho then sighed "Well I guess it cannot be helped, I will just have to win him over"

"That's not what he wants, he doesn't want to be won over" Sesshoumaru stated causing them to stop walking "He wants to be able to trust you, he wants a father that isn't going to walk out on him. He's had a tricky past too"

"Then what do you suggest I do? He knows what I regrettably did to you"

"I am unsure, I am not a father yet. My assumption is that you show him you love him and make an effort. He needs proof"

"We're not just talking about Inuyasha now are we" Inutaisho placed his hand on Sesshoumaru's shoulder "I understand I have to show you all these things and yes I need to be a better father but you've got to let me do it. You can't ignore or shun me when I try. I don't want to lose you pup. You and Inuyasha are my world. I refuse to let you leave without a fight"

"I am willing to try" He replied "But you can't expect me to come running straight into your arms, I don't trust you any more"

"I understand, I wouldn't trust me either. I'm just relieved to know that you will allow us a chance" He then wrapped his arm around his son's shoulders and pressed his forehead against his "You're my son and I love you" Certainly not used to this Sesshoumaru gave an awkward nod and slowly pulled from his father's hold "I have to work on getting you to feel comfortable around me too" Inutaisho gave a small smile "I know I shouldn't ask you this but do you think you could help me with Inuyasha?"

"If he wishes to know you then I shall try" The young Prince agreed "Though he wants proof that you can be a proper father as well"

"Understood" He smiled "Come on then, your mother will start screaming at me if I keep you on your feet. The wrath of that woman can scare me sometimes"

"She's just a worrier"

"Especially when it comes to you. She always was and so was I...even if we didn't show it" They both then entered the dining room to find everyone at the dining table. Kagome had one spare seat beside her and Jen had one beside her who was sitting opposite the miko "Your mother removed the chair from the top of the table to prevent me from sitting in it, she kind of set it alight before my very eyes last night" Sesshoumaru couldn't help but smirk at that, his mother always went too far. Arriving at the table Sesshoumaru took his seat next to his mate as Inutaisho took the one next to Jen. The servants then came forward and served lunch

"How are you feeling Sesshoumaru?" Jen asked as she lifted her chopsticks "The dizziness gone?"

"Yes mother" He replied "Has Kagome told you of our plans? Inuyasha, Sango and I will be going back to Kagome's time with her to tell her mother and grandfather of the pup"

"And then Sesshoumaru will be attacked by good old Gramps" Inuyasha snickered

"He won't be there when we arrive" Kagome smirked "I've planned it all out, we'll go during my granddad's Bingo night so we can tell mom on her own and then we will quietly sit Gramps down later and tell him"

"That sounds safer" Sango laughed

"Would you like me to go Kagome?" Jen offered "I could talk on yours and Sesshoumaru's behalf?"

"Awe would you Jen?" Kagome smiled "Thank you so much"

"I'll come too, if that's okay with both of you" Inutaisho suggested

"Sure" She grinned

"As long as you and mother don't fight" Sesshoumaru warned "I doubt that would give Kagome's mother the impression of mature parents"

"Best behaviour" Inutaisho promised "But Jen don't go bringing Izayoi into anything or drop touchy hints"

"Like I'd do that with company around" Jen huffed "Sesshoumaru's and Kagome's welfare comes before you. Plus I wouldn't want to tell Kagome's mother that I'm mated to a two-timing womanising creep who left his mate and son for another woman"

"Mother" Sesshoumaru sighed "Not here"

"Yes, you're right" Jen calmed "I apologize everyone"

"While we're travelling to Kagome's perhaps we could see if there's any news on Naraku" Sango offered "With him carrying the completed Shikon no Tama he can't exactly go into hiding, there will be millions of youkai pursuing him. And Kagome could most probably sense it more easily now"

"True" Kagome pondered

"You're right demon slayer" Inutaisho nodded "But we shouldn't go out of our way to do this, Kagome is after all pregnant"

"Yo her name's Sango" Inuyasha glared

"My apologies" The King bowed his head slightly and turned back to Sesshoumaru "So what have I missed during my absence? Are there any new enemies or old ones roaming the area?"

"There are no new enemies nor are there any old ones, excluding Naraku" Sesshoumaru answered "They've all been dispatched"

"You killed them all?"

"Well yes, they were a nuisance" Inutaisho then smirked

"Your strength must have grown immaculately, perhaps we could have a sparring session later?"

"No way" Jen stepped in "He's still recovering"

"Awe come now Jen, I doubt a simple sparring session will harm the boy"

"No Inutaisho, he still looks rather pale. I'm not having you making him ill"

"Mother I'm fine" Sesshoumaru insisted "I'm not a little pup any more, I can look after myself"

"Fine but if you collapse don't come crying to me" She snapped "Why do you insist bothering with the very youkai who walked out on us?" She then pushed her chair back and left to the gardens without another word

"I'll talk to her" Kagome said as she put her chopsticks down, slid out of her seat and went to the gardens. She couldn't see her anywhere, she went over to one of the guards "Umm I was wondering if you could help me"

"Of course Princess" The guard bowed. Wow she was not used to being called a Princess

"I'm looking for Queen Jen, have you seen her pass through here?"

"Yes, she's sitting behind that cherry blossom right at the back milady"

"Oh, thank you" Kagome then gave a short bow and ran over to where the guard had directed. She stepped behind the tree to find Jen wiping away a tear "Jen?" The Queen looked up at Kagome and sniffled

"Sorry for running out like that dear" She wiped her eyes "I'm just frustrated that's all" Kagome kneeled beside her mother-in-law and linked her arm

"Why?"

"I don't know why Sesshoumaru is talking to Inutaisho, he hates him. He's always has ever since Inutaisho ran off with that whore. I mean he wasn't the best father was he"

"That may be true Jen but Inutaisho has just come back into his life. He wants to make up for the past. You've got to be supportive to Sesshoumaru, you can't shun him because of this. Would that make you any better?"

"You're right" She sighed "It would make me just like Inutaisho. I guess it still just hurts"

"That's natural"

"I know I shouldn't care but I still loved him when he left me for Izayoi. It was so painful, I began to take it out on Sesshoumaru. Luckily I realized what I was doing before it caused any real damage, I just don't want him to hurt Sesshoumaru again. He was so depressed during that time" She then shuffled closer to Kagome "Don't tell Sesshoumaru I told you this but I used to find him at night crying, he felt so unloved Kagome. I know I didn't help, I know I wasn't the best mother but at least I stood by him. I didn't walk out on him while he was still growing"

"Awe Jen" Kagome went onto her knees and hugged the older woman "You don't need to worry, Sesshoumaru knows what he's doing. And if Inutaisho hurts him, Inuyasha or you I'll purify him" Jen laughed slightly at the image of Inutaisho being shocked repeatedly by her new daughter "There's got to be more to this"

"There is" She looked up at Kagome and smiled sadly "I can't fool you can I. I'm afraid that since Inutaisho's back Sesshoumaru will be close to him again, I've been trying so hard to get close to him and now it's all going to be for nothing"

"Jen, Sesshoumaru will never forget about you. You're his mom, you're the person he's going to want to talk about when it comes to really delicate things. Let's be honest Jen, could you see Sesshoumaru having a heart-to-heart with his father? It's more a mother son thing"

"I guess you're right" She smiled "I'm proud to have you as a daughter Kagome" She then pressed her hand to Kagome's stomach "I hope this little one will grow up to be just like you" Kagome smiled softly and hugged the Queen "I better go apologize to Sesshoumaru" She pulled Kagome to her feet as she stood

"Or perhaps you should talk to Sesshoumaru about it, I know Sesshoumaru isn't one for confiding and being sensitive and I doubt he's the most supportive and understanding but you've got to tell him how you feel. Just the two of you" They then moved from behind the tree to see Sesshoumaru approaching them

"I wanted to see if everything was alright" He stated "Mother?"

"I'm sorry love" Jen smiled softly as she neared her son "I got jealous"

"Of what?"

"Well you were always closer to your father and I guess I was just afraid that you'd push me out and be all for your father again"

"Mother I'm not a pup any more, I wouldn't push you away to let father through. He has to prove himself to me" Jen was about the same height as her son so when she hugged him she was also tall enough to kiss his forehead "I promise you I wouldn't do what father did" Jen pulled back and smiled up at her son

"You make me so proud, I wouldn't want another son"

"How about a grandson?" Sesshoumaru mused as he took Kagome's hand

"We don't even know if it's a boy" Kagome rolled her eyes "What you're gonna be disappointed if it's a girl?"

"I never said that"

"And you think you got problems?" Kagome huffed half heartedly to Jen "I've got to put up with him, Inuyasha, their fights, raise Rin and Shippo, somehow find Miroku a girl, get Kouga off my back, make sure Naraku doesn't get me and all whilst carrying a _pup _all at the same time"

"You make it sound so terrible" Sesshoumaru smirked as he pulled her to him "The only things I can guaranty is that Naraku will never get hold of you and I will see to it that Kouga personally gets the message to 'get off your back'"

"Did I ever mention how hot you are when you're jealous?" Kagome giggled

"Possibly" He then leaned down and captured her lips

"Pups" Jen huffed as she stormed passed them and back into the palace. When she knew she was out of Sesshoumaru's hearing range she snickered "Awe so cute" She had her gaze on them as she walked which caused her to bump into Inutaisho, she immediately turned to apologize but retrained when she saw him

"And what's so cute?"

"None of your business" She tried to push passed him but he caught her arm and pulled her back "Don't touch me Taisho"

"Calm down, I only want to know what your problem is with me being around _our _son"

"I'm not going into it right now but I'm warning you, if you ever hurt him ever again I'll make sure to put you back in your grave myself" Inuyasha entered when he saw Jen growling at Inutaisho

"Wow Jen put the claws away, Sesshoumaru and Kagome can most probably see you" He walked over to them and took Jen's arm "Remember what Yuri said, don't distress Sesshoumaru"

"You're right" She sighed as she stepped back "Wait a second, when did you start getting all protective over your brother anyway?"

"I've been asking myself that question to be honest" He shrugged "I guess he's like Miroku, if you're around him long enough you learn to love him. Personally...OW" The hanyou received a whack on the head from Sesshoumaru "Hey what was that for ya asshole?"

"Comparing me to that damned lecher"

"Well you can be a pervert" Inuyasha huffed "Asking _my _mate into your room last night"

"You told me to show her some affection" He smirked "I didn't hear her complain anyway"

"Right that's it ya bastard" He cracked his claws "I'll put those dizzy spells right back into ya head"

"With your reckless moves? I don't think so. It's pathetic really, after all these years you would have been expected to rethink your fighting strategies"

"Yeah well at least I haven't been a cold hearted ice Prince all these years"

"At least I didn't fall in love with a walking corpse when I could have had a real living miko, which I have now" He smirked at a blushing Kagome

"Oh ya gonna play that card is it" Inuyasha then unsheathed his sword "Well bring it on Mr Perfect"

"Gladly" Sesshoumaru then unsheathed his sword and ushered Kagome from harm's way

"Sorry Kagome but ya kid is gonna be without a dad"

"Or an uncle" Sesshoumaru smirked. Inuyasha then came charging at his brother but Sesshoumaru just knocked him back like swatting a fly "Just shows how weak you are little brother, I still haven't regained my full strength yet"

"Helloooooooooo, you're a youkai I'm a hanyou. There's a difference ya know"

"That's true, whereas I was brought up in the art of combat your mother taught you to pick flowers and dance around like a fairy boy"

"Don't even go there" They were about to clash swords once again when Inutaisho stepped in the way and blocked their attacks

"You're both so childish"

"Tell me about it" Kagome sighed "Come on Jen let's go play with Rin and Shippo, I'm sure they're more mature than these two"

"I agree" They then went off to find the children

"Now if you two really want to fight how about you both attack me in the dojo, both of you against me" Inutaisho offered

"Two on one?" Inuyasha asked "I don't know it sounds kind of dodgy"

"Nonsense, I'm stronger than both of you so if you both work together maybe you might be able to scratch me"

"Well at least I know where you get your cockiness from" Inuyasha snickered at Sesshoumaru

"At least I know where you get your recklessness from" Sesshoumaru replied in the same tone

"Boys" Inutaisho groaned "Just move to the dojo before I kick you there" The brothers smirked and moved to the dojo with their father following...

They day had gone rather smoothly for Kagome. After getting away from her immature mate and brother-in-law, Kagome and Jen went off to play with Rin and Shippo. The children had pretty much dragged them around the palace playing all different games, one moment they would find themselves sitting in the gardens and then suddenly in the library. It sure was draining but heck it was a bit of fun. When Sango found out what happened between Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru she decided to avoid the hanyou for a while, she knew he'd either be in a really bad mood or would just mouth off Sesshoumaru for the rest of the evening. It was bad enough when they all sat down for dinner. Inuyasha kept trying to annoy his older brother but luckily Sesshoumaru just ignored it but as usual that just ticked Inuyasha off even more, Sango knew he was going to be a handful tonight. There was no way they were going to have sex tonight, she knew damn well he'd take his frustration out during their love making and she wanted to be able to walk. Sex was an absolute no no for tonight!

Inutaisho was amazed at how bad his sons bickering actually was, he thought that they'd just get bored of annoying each other but all through the training in the dojo they just kept at it. He wanted to put himself back in his own grave, at least it was peaceful there. One point he'd actually backhanded both of them and told them to shut it, how could he possibly bond with either of them if they acted like over grown pups. Then again, it did help in the end. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru decided to jump the daiyoukai when he wasn't looking, it was their revenge for him backhanding them. They didn't really hurt him, they acted like the pups they were. Yes, he certainly felt like he had succeeded in bringing himself closer to his boys. Hopefully they would warm up to him and they could be like a normal family...well almost normal anyway.

Kagome had gone up to bed early, she got fed up with Inuyasha during dinner so she just went on up to her chambers to do a bit of studying. Well that's what Sesshoumaru assumed anyway. He punched his brother in the arm for annoying his mate and went on up to his bed chambers, it was roughly 10pm now so he had a pretty good guess that Kagome would be getting ready for bed...he was wrong. He entered his bed chambers to find his mate sitting in his chair wearing his haori, and from the looks of it that was all she was wearing "Kagome?" He had to admit she looked stunning but it was rather shocking to find her like that

"So you've finished bickering?" She asked coyly as she stood and slowly made her way over to him, swaying her hips sexily with every step.

"Indeed I have" He smirked. She then took his hand and lead him over to the chair she was previously sitting on. She roughly pushed him into it and walked up in between his legs. He couldn't help but let his hands trail up her legs to her waist, she was absolutely beautiful "Mine" He growled possessively

"And you're mine" She winked. She then dropped to her knees completely shocking him

"Kagome?" Her hands then went to the ties of his haori and she pulled them apart, she then opened the folds of his haori to reveal his sculptured chest, he could make a God jealous with a body like his. She then leaned up and began to nip and suck at his neck "Hn...Kagome" He groaned when he felt her slowly making her way down his chest, leaving kisses and nips as she went. When she reached the rim of his hakama she ran her tongue across his skin as her hands grasped the ties of his hakama. She looked up at him and saw him let out a shaky breath

"Sesshoumaru..." She breathed as she unbuckled his hakama and let his erection free "Happy to see me?" With her eyes still on him she blew the tip of his member causing a shudder from him. She then trailed her mouth up the side of his member and swirled her tongue around the tip when she reached the top

"Kagome" He panted "Mate...take me in your mouth" Obliging Kagome took him fully in his mouth as she kept her eyes on him, he let out a groan as he met her gaze. She then began to bob her head up and down, sucking him harder each time. He let his fingers run through her ebony locks as he sighed and groaned at her ministrations "Hn" Her pace began to increase desperately wanting her mate to cum. Sesshoumaru's breaths were shallow and his chest heaved, his little vixen was bringing him closer and closer to his release. It was only a matter minutes and he would be sated. Kagome sensed his end nearing and deep throated him, she began moaning sending vibrations through him. He let out a feral growl as he released his seed into her waiting mouth, she almost gagged but swallowed submissively. She then pulled away with a 'pop' and began cleaning him. Once she was done Sesshoumaru took her wrists and pulled her up to straddle him, he was still panting hard as he pulled her against his chest

"I take it you enjoyed that" She giggled as she looked up into his eyes, he gave a breathy nod as he sliced through the ties of the haori and pulled it from her person. She saw his eyes were full of lust as he latched himself onto one of her breasts "Oh...Sesshoumaru..." He swirled his tongue around the pink bud as he massaged her other breast with his hand. He then swapped breasts and did the same thing again. As he did this Kagome pulled the remainder of his haori from his person. She let out an 'eep' when he lifted her as he stood, she unconsciously wrapped her legs around his waist as he brought her to lie on the bed. Once there he pulled her legs from her waist and began to kiss down her stomach, when he reached her belly button he dipped his tongue inside and swirled it around "Hmm..." Kagome moaned as she ran her fingers through his hair "M-more" He pulled away from her stomach and looked up at her beautiful glassy orbs

"You want more my little miko?" She gave a shy nod causing him to smirk arrogantly "Then I shall have you screaming my name so that the whole palace can hear you" He then resumed where he left off and made his way to her womanhood, he spread her legs for better access and dipped his tongue into her core. Kagome's breath hitched as her toes curled, this felt great.

"Gods..." She bucked her hips to encourage him as she panted. Sesshoumaru pulled away and smirked when he heard Kagome sigh in disappointment. He then brought two digits to his mouth and sucked them as he looked at her seductively, Kagome shuddered at this "Please" He then pulled the digits from his mouth and thrust them into her. Kagome let out a scream of pure pleasure, it increased even more when she felt Sesshoumaru latch himself onto her pearl "Ah...Sessh...uh..." She dug her fingers into the bed as his pace increased with each thrust. Her moans and screams began to get louder, she did try to keep quiet but couldn't help it. She just prayed that the children or worse her in-laws couldn't hear her. Without expecting it, Kagome came hard as screamed Sesshoumaru's name in utter bliss. Sesshoumaru lapped and cleaned her greedily as she rode out her orgasm, god it felt so good. "Sesshou..." She looked down at him and he slowly made his way back up her body, their lips instantly met and they could taste each other's releases lingering "You...you're amazing..." She panted

"Would you care to continue?" She reluctantly shook her head, he frowned slightly "Why not?"

"We need to sleep, otherwise we won't get up early enough for our trip to the well tomorrow" She gave an apologetic smile and caressed his cheek "I hope I don't sound too selfish"

"Of course not" He smiled as he pecked her lips. He then ran his hands gently over her breasts, down her stomach and to her hips "Why did you feel you had to hide such a beautiful and perfect body from me? Would could you possibly be ashamed of? Your body is better than and inuyoukai's and you're only 15"

"I guess I felt self conscious" She blushed at his flattery "At my school there are so many more prettier and skinnier girls than me, I just don't see anything attractive about me and when they're standing next to me I feel even worse. I feel fat and ugly" Sesshoumaru pecked her nose and smirked

"You're not fat and definitely not ugly, you're the most beautiful being I have ever set my eyes on. I do not lie Kagome, what I speak is the truth. These wenches at your school most probably spread their legs for any male, am I correct?" She nodded slightly "Some males will like that just because they know they can get something out of it, females like that are not respected. The males in your school most probably find you attractive but know damn well that you wouldn't do anything with them"

"Maybe you're right" She smiled as she kissed his lips "You always know what to say" Sesshoumaru then rolled over onto his side and pulled her closer to him "There is this one guy who likes me, his name's Hojo. I've tried and tried to tell him I'm not interested but the guy's too dense to get the message. Don't get me wrong he's a sweet guy and everything but he's not for me"

"Is he possessive like the wolf?" He frowned

"No he's not like that" Kagome giggled at his jealousy "He just likes me, he's innocent and I know he wouldn't try anything but he's just...I don't know" She shrugged "He's just not for me, you are"

"And so I should be" He pulled the covers over them and wrapped his arms around her waist "Are you worried at all about tomorrow?"

"Yeah but that's to be expected, at least your parents will be there to help"

"Or make it worse" He muttered under his breath "Are you sure it's alright for them to come? They might start a fight"

"They promised they wouldn't" Kagome replied "And if they do I'll just purify them. I'll say to mom that you're nothing like them, you're a very mature, handsome, caring, loving and protective Prince who would do anything for me. You have all the necessities of what a good husband/mate requires" She winked "His only flaws are that he starts fights with his little brother, he's very possessive and can be a big of an arrogant jerk sometimes"

"My reply to that would be that my young brother is an on going nuisance, I'm very possessive because I love my mate and don't want anything to have her, and I'm arrogant to only certain beings for my status and for the protection of myself and family. And because my mate is very formidable and outwits me with my arrogance with her own hormonal rage that can bring quite a few males to their feet as they quiver in fear"

"She'll most probably agree with you on that note" Kagome laughed "But my Gramps will want to know everything about you, he'll want to know all about your status; how old you are; why you got me pregnant; do I truly love you; will you kill me and so on"

"I shall answer your grandfather to the best ability, though I most probably won't start on a good note as I've gotten you pregnant"

"Well on the upside, he can stop thinking of stupid excuses for keeping me from school"

"You said your grandfather makes up illnesses, correct?" Kagome nodded "Then won't your school find it rather suspicious that you managed to find someone who then got you pregnant without you dying in the process of love making? And why would you even consider doing such an act in your sickened state? Aren't you supposed to be bed bound with your healers?"

"They aren't called healers in my time, they are called Doctors and they work in a hospital which is a massive building that looks after all sick people. But you are right about all the other stuff, hmm this is going to be tricky"

"Could your family just tell them that they will be your tutors? I never attended any form of school when I was younger, my father always had the best tutors in the palace. Rin now attends them and I suggest we have the kitsune do the same"

"Hmm home schooled, that could work. My mother is a qualified teacher, she just never got a job after my father died because she had to raise me and Souta. Yeah and we should get Shippo to start his studies"

"Then it is settled"

"You can tell my mother when we get home, she will then think you're even more intelligent and will most probably welcome you with open arms" She snuggled up to him and sighed "Ignore what Inuyasha says about my Gramps, they guy's old so he gets a bit loopy on times. He just wants what's best for me and he took over the role of my dad when he passed away"

"How did you lose your father Kagome?"

"When I was around 10 thieves broke into our home demanding for every piece of cash we owned, my father protected all of us by standing in our way. He refused to give them what they wanted and told them to get out before he called the police, one of the thieves laughed in his face and managed to grab me. He held his knife to my throat and demanded my dad to hand the money over. Obviously my dad did so and stepped forward to take me back, as he did so the thief stabbed him numerous times until my dad collapsed to the floor in a puddle of his own blood. He then threw me on top of him and left with his group" She then looked up at her mate "That is why I was so hysteric when I saw you laying upon the seal covered in your own blood, it reminded me of my dad's death"

"Kagome" Sesshoumaru nuzzled his mate's cheek and held her close "Your life has had its traumatic traits, I apologize for bringing it up and scaring you"

"It helps to talk about it" Kagome leaned into his touch "And don't apologize about you almost dying, like hell could you prevent that. I'll always worry about you Sessh, I love you too much to lose you" Sesshoumaru smiled softly and kissed her lips

"And I shall always love you my mate" They then snuggled closer "Get some rest now, we have a long journey" Kagome nodded and closed her eyes. Sesshoumaru unconsciously checking _his own _chambers for any dangers and followed his mate. Meanwhile Inuyasha and Sango were lying in bed looking rather frustrated

"Look Sango I'm sorry but Sesshoumaru just annoyed me"

"You were the one doing the annoying at dinner" Sango huffed

"Alright babe I'm sorry but that's no reason to deny me sex"

"Call it punishment" Inuyasha then grumbled and muttered something about women and their moods, obviously he received a slap for that

**Hope you enjoyed it. Reviews Please :)**

**Inuyashasesshy4eva xXx**


	18. Mom I'm Pregnant

Chapter Eighteen – Mom...I'm Pregnant

Surprisingly this morning Kagome was the first to wake. She immediately sat up and stretched _'Well today's the day' _She let out a yawn and turned to see Sesshoumaru still asleep _'That's not normal' _Quietly she leaned forward and checked for a fever, nope, he was fine. She just assumed that she must have tired him out last night, plus it didn't help that he went sparring with his father and brother. Sighing the little miko slid out of bed and changed into a pair of black jeans and a white turtle neck jumper. She then brushed her hair and began to pack up her yellow pack whilst throwing a sleeping hakama in as well. Once she was done she looked up to find that Sesshoumaru was still asleep, grinning she timidly went to his bedside and leaned over to look at his features. She almost screamed when his eyes shot open just as two strong arms grabbed her and pulled her to straddle his waist "Sesshoumaru!" She slapped his arm "You gave me a heart attack, you idiot"

"You should know better than to sneak up on a youkai" He smirked as he leaned up and kissed her "And why have you gotten dressed so early?"

"Just because you didn't wake up first doesn't mean it's early" Sesshoumaru then pointed to the window to see that the sun was only just rising "Damn it" She cursed "Well I can't sleep now, get up Sessh"

"Why?"

"Because I'm bored" She pouted "Take me for a walk around the garden or something"

"Or I could help you with your boredom right here" He breathed huskily

"No" She huffed as she tried to get out of his hold "No sex this morning"

"But we won't be able to have any for at least 3 days" He almost sounded like a child

"I'm sure you can cope"

"You're right" He smirked "I'm sure one of the maids would be more than willing to help me"

"Jerk" She was about to get off him when he rolled over and pinned her beneath him "Let me go!"

"I'm punishing my mate" He breathed into her ear "Why would I release you?"

"Why would you punish me?"

"For waking me me up and calling me names" He then pulled down the fabric on her neck and kissed her mating mark

"We can do it on the sly in my house alright, my mom won't bug us" She tried her best to convince him, she was not in the mood this morning "It'll be more exciting in my house, we might get caught" Sesshoumaru sat up and pondered on what she just said, sure it would be most thrilling but it wouldn't make the best impression. Then again he couldn't deny his mate now could he. Smirking he looked down at his mate who was panting beneath him, he leaned forward and pecked her lips

"Very well my little miko, though you will have to be good and keep you mouth shut"

"You might have to gag me" She poked her tongue out as she sat up "You know you bring out the worst in me"

"True" He then slid off the bed and pulled open his wardrobe "You do realize that nobody will be awake, don't you?" He pulled out his usual red and white attire and went about putting it on

"I know" She replied as she too slid off the bed. She made her way to the dresser and began to fix her now messy hair "We can have a nice and peaceful walk in the garden without worrying about being spied on" She turned to face him to find him in just his hakama as he reached for his haori. She licked her lips and watched his every move, he noticed this and smirked. "Who will be in charge during our journey to my home?"

"Monomaru and Yuri most probably" He shrugged and he pulled on his haori "Perhaps when we return we can plan out the nursery for the pup, I'm sure you would like to re-decorate my old one"

"Really?" She beamed as she walked over to him "Do you think I could get some baby things in my time for our child?"

"If that is what you wish" He entwined her fingers with his "Though do not get any noisy contraption like that alarm clock you own, the pup will have sensitive hearing like myself. We don't need it turning deaf"

"I'll only buy simple things, and if I do happen to purchase anything noisy it'll for you when you annoy me"

"A bit harsh mate" He mused as they left their chambers and headed to the gardens "Have you thought of any names yet?"

"Nope and I don't want to either, I want to see my child before I give it an identity" Kagome replied "I want to see its face before I make any decisions"

"I suppose" They entered the gardens to find it very quiet, peaceful and not tormented by two hyper children. They sat under the sakura tree they last shared with Inuyasha and Sango and relaxed

"Don't you want to name any of our children?"

"Children?" Sesshoumaru mused with a risen brow "You would like more than one pup?" Kagome blushed and averted her gaze causing Sesshoumaru to chuckle, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to lean against him "Yes Kagome I would also like to name our pups, though it is tradition to have the mother name the first born"

"Your mother named you?" Kagome met his gaze "She named you 'The killing perfection'?"

"No my father did" He sighed "He is not one to follow tradition when it comes to women, he wanted to name me so he made damn certain that he did. I don't know what name my mother had in store for me nor do I care, father made the decision to call me Sesshoumaru and used his status to make sure I kept to that name"

"Your dad sounds like a jerk then" Kagome huffed "Very childish as well"

"Isn't he still?"

"I don't know your dad so I really shouldn't judge him" Kagome then began to ponder, what name did Jen have in store for Sesshoumaru, she knew deep down he knew but just wouldn't tell. She knew it had to be embarrassing if Sesshoumaru would actually lie and say he had no knowledge of it. Yes, this was definitely a question she needed to ask the Queen. She grinned evilly as she thought of all the names she could possibly muster that would match her dashing rogue "When are we setting out?"

"After breakfast" He replied bluntly as he stared off into space. He saw the evil smirk on Kagome's face and knew what she up to. If his mother dared to tell her of that name he would certainly kill her and punish his mate for even daring to ask. Then again it would be his own fault, he knew Kagome wasn't a submissive mate who shouldn't ask questions. She wasn't the mate who bowed to his every will, she always mouthed her opinions, always challenged him and even dared to anger him. She was the complete opposite to the perfect, submissive and obedient mate. But that was exactly the way he liked her. He didn't want some ass-kissing wench who constantly spread her legs for him and bent to his every will. He wanted a strong, feisty, daring and powerful mate, Kagome had met these standards and he wouldn't trade her for any demoness. He didn't care if she was a human, she was the most powerful he had ever encountered. She was a miko for crying out loud. She was capable of protecting herself, she had proved that many times in the past. He couldn't recall the amount of times she shot her purification arrows at him to stop him from killing Inuyasha. She was loyal, loving and...well perfect. She was everything he wanted. Inwardly smiling Sesshoumaru leaned down and captured Kagome's lips in a tender kiss

Kagome jumped when she felt his lips against hers, she had been in her own daze of thinking up names that she had forgotten he was there. Smiling when he kissed her Kagome couldn't help but moan, he was everything she ever wanted. Sure he could be an ass on times but so was everyone in his family, well except Jen of course, she was more of a bitch. But then again she was a female inuyoukai. Don't get her wrong she loved his family more than anything, she looked at them as her own. She loved them because they were a part of him. Sesshoumaru was the guy for her and she knew it, that was why she didn't flip when he marked her without permission. She knew he loved her, he told her himself that youkai don't mate out of love. She knew that the males were alpha and didn't need to ask their mate's anything, especially permission to mark them. Sesshoumaru treated her like his equal and she loved that, she wasn't his shard detector or someone's reincarnation. Heck he didn't even love her over the fact she looked like a former lover. No, he loved her for just being her. She would never trade him for any other puppy.

Thinking on that last line of her train of thought Kagome couldn't help but giggle, yes he was her puppy but like hell would she ever tell him. She'd be "punished" so much that she wouldn't be able to walk for a week. Finally breaking the kiss Kagome looked up into Sesshoumaru's golden gaze and smiled softly "And what was that for?"

"Can I not kiss my mate without a reason? Can I not simply show you my affections?"

"I don't know, can you?" Grinning she dived onto him pushing him to the floor with her on top of him. She couldn't help but giggle when he flipped then so that he was on top "Now now Sessh, not out in the open"

"Then where? You denied me in our own chambers" He smirked "I think this is a perfect spot"

"Hey I have enough dignity not to take a tumble with you in the garden where Rin and Shippo can easily see us"

"The infants won't be awake yet, so don't worry" He then captured her lips once again. She let out a frustrated moan when he pinned her down with his body, there was no way she was getting away. Sesshoumaru let his hands roam her perfect body as the kiss began to get heated, he pressed himself against her causing her to moan against his lips. He wasn't going to take her right there and then, he just wanted to play and admire and what was his. He pulled away to give her some air, she was panted hard causing him to smirk. Only he could do that to her, he knew that. Once she got her breath back her claimed her lips once again yet this time he slid his tongue into her mouth and fought with her, his hands pulled up her top to reveal her stomach to the cold air. She shuddered slightly as he ghosted his hands over the parts that were sensitive when they were rudely interrupted

"Don't you have your chambers to do that sort of thing?" Sesshoumaru immediately broke the kiss and sat up on his knees to find his father leaning against one of the pillars looking rather amused

"What are you doing up so early?" He asked as he stood leaving a blushed Kagome to pull her top back down and join him

"The question my boy is do you think it is appropriate to be doing such things out in the open where the children usually play?"

"Father" Sesshoumaru sighed "We weren't going to do anything"

"I had no say in this" Kagome defended trying to shake the blush from her cheeks

"I'm sure you didn't love" Inutaisho smirked "I am well aware my son is to blame" He then walked over to them and wrapped his arm around his eldest "Just a bit of advice pup, I wouldn't go doing that today at Kagome's home. It wouldn't give Kagome's mother the best impression now would it"

"I had no intention of doing so" He replied "Now answer my question, what are you doing up so early?"

"The sun has just risen Sesshoumaru, I usually wake at this time. Your mother shouldn't be far behind though I am not sure about Inuyasha and his companions"

"Inuyasha is usually the last up" Kagome laughed "I don't think he's a morning person"

"That I guessed" Inutaisho winked "Shall we go to breakfast? I shall send some servants to wake everyone, I'm sure you would like to leave early Kagome?"

"If it's not too much trouble"

"Of course not my dear, I am rather excited about meeting your family" He then dropped his arm from Sesshoumaru and turned back to the palace "Come along, the sooner we eat the sooner we can leave" Sesshoumaru bit back the urge to roll his eyes as he caught Kagome's hand and followed his father to the dining room...

After breakfast everyone was at the palace entrance making sure they had everything they needed. Kagome threw her yellow pack over her shoulders and looked to her sister, Sango looked very annoyed this morning yet so did Inuyasha. The little miko approached her sister and linked her arm "Is everything alright?"

"I suppose" She shrugged "Inuyasha is in a mood with me because I refused to have sex with him last night, it was punishment for acting so childish with Sesshoumaru yesterday. I assume you did the same with Sesshoumaru?" She looked to Kagome who blushed

"Well I punished him...just not in that way"

"Awe Kagome" Sango burst out laughing "You call that punishment?"

"It is for youkai" She laughed "Sesshoumaru taught me that"

"Hmm perhaps that would have been a better way than what I did, I'm even sexually frustrated over it" This caused Kagome to laugh even more "Ne Kagome it's not funny, Inuyasha won't even look at me"

"I'll talk to him" She stifled a giggle as she wiped a tear away. Sesshoumaru approached the girls and caught Kagome's hand

"I think it is time to leave mate" Kagome nodded and looked to Inutaisho. The King then signalled to the group and they all headed off North.

As they left the golden gates of the palace Kagome broke from Sesshoumaru's hand and linked onto a moody Inuyasha's arm "Hey grumpy what's eating you?"

"Feh I'm sure Sango told ya"

"So you're not talking to her because she denied you a night of bliss?" He nodded "Wow you are so childish"

"Hey I'm sure you'd feel this bad if you didn't get your fix" He almost shouted. Inutaisho, Jen and Sesshoumaru could hear the conversation and couldn't help but smirk "Apparently it's punishment for fighting with Sesshoumaru, damn she's my mate not my mother"

"So that's an excuse not to talk to her? Gee Yash it was only one night. How do you think Sesshoumaru and I are going to feel? We won't be able to do anything like that back at my home, you can as my mom won't mind as much...as long as you keep your voices down"

"I suppose" He sighed "I better go apologize to her then" Inuyasha then went to his mate who was currently chatting with Miroku "Uh Sango?" The slayer turned to her lover and frowned

"What do you want?"

"I wanna apologize" He took her hand and pulled her away from Miroku "I was a real jerk, I mean it was my fault me and the asshole fought anyway. Forgive me?"

"Of course Yash" Sango smiled as she pecked his lips "I guess it was also cruel of me to deny you last night as well, I mean you're a hanyou of course your urges will be stronger"

"Thanks love" He then wrapped his arm around her waist as they continued their way to the well. Sesshoumaru walked up to Kagome and caught her hand

"Must you always poke your nose into their love life?"

"Yes" She grinned as she looked up at him "They both can be very childish sometimes and could do with a good kick. They shouldn't argue over one night of no sex"

"Well I know I'd argue" He smirked as he kissed her cheek "I didn't appreciate that you denied me this morning"

"Yeah, but I only did it because I had just got changed and didn't fancy getting undressed again. I _am _pregnant at the end of the day, I can't keep up. And besides I won't be denying you tonight" She winked

"Good" Jen and Inutaisho watched the interaction between all of the teens and couldn't help but smirk, it only seemed like yesterday when they were acting like that with each other. This caused a small blush to grace each of their cheeks but they refused to let the other see

"Uh Kagome...how far is the well from here love? It's not good to be travelling in your condition" Jen asked breaking the silence

"I'm not really sure how far by foot, I think at least a day"

"Then I suggest we fly" Inutaisho spoke "You will tire easily in your condition, I know you're not even a month pregnant yet but the journey will still tire you"

"Father's right" Sesshoumaru said as he lifted Kagome bridal style "It will be safer and quicker if we fly. Inuyasha you and Sango ride the neko; monk you, Rin, Shippo and Jaken will ride AhUn" He then turned to his parents "Will you transform or simply fly?"

"Fly" Jen replied "Transforming will only zap my energy, though if you begin to tire don't hesitate to tell me. I'll carry both of you on my back, I don't want you getting another fever"

"Mother I assure you my fever will not return, my strength is back to normal"

"I realize that but I still worry" She smiled

"Your mother's right Sesshoumaru" Inutaisho said "Take it easy, your full strength has only just returned. We don't want you overdoing yourself and then collapsing in mid air with Kagome in your arms"

"If I tire I'll tell you" Sesshoumaru sighed as he took to the sky before his parents could continue to pester him about his health. Kirara, AhUn, Jen and Inutaisho followed after him. Kagome looked up at her mate and frowned as she crossed her arms over her bust "What?" He asked not even looking at her, he could tell she was angry by the change in her aura

"They're only concerned Sessh, there's no need to bitch at them"

"I wasn't, I just do not like being coddled"

"I understand that but you have to get used to that, they are your mom and dad at the end of the day. They're always going to worry about you and be there for you. Just like we will when our _pup _is born" Sesshoumaru looked down at her and smirked when she finally referred to their child as 'pup'

"I suppose you are right" He smiled softly and he kissed her forehead "Though I am used to my mother coddling me it is rather bothersome to have both of them doing it, I've been used to having one parent so long it's starting to get annoying"

"And it doesn't help they disagree with the other's parenting skills" Kagome laughed. She then turned and looked to see where her friends were positioned. Inuyasha and Sango were in front; Miroku, Jaken and the children beside Kirara and Jen beside Sesshoumaru. She almost fell out of Sesshoumaru's arms when she saw Inutaisho flying beside them in his transformed state. He was huge.

"Show off" Jen muttered

"Oh my god he looks so cute" Kagome beamed and looked up at Sesshoumaru "Can you transform into your true form? I bet you look cuter"

"Are you insinuating that since my transformed state is smaller than my father's I will look like a pampered pup?"

"Nope" She giggled "But we've discussed your pampered self before now haven't we" She winked and then pouted "Please Sessh, I want to ride you"

"You could have this morning" Realizing what she just said Kagome blushed and slapped Sesshoumaru "Yes?"

"Pervert" She huffed. She then jumped when she heard Inutaisho's rumbling "What's he doing?"

"He's talking to Sesshoumaru" Jen stated as she flew over to them on her youkai cloud "He's speaking inuyoukai and..." She then listened to the King's words "No he's not racing you, grow up Inutaisho!" Kagome laughed at this

"Awe come on Jen, let them have a little fun. And besides I want to have a girly chat with you"

"Fine, but only because you need to speak with me" She sighed "Sessh, don't push yourself" Sesshoumaru nodded and set Kagome down upon Jen's cloud

"Don't drop her" He warned. He then flew back some to give himself and the girls some space, once he did that he allowed his youki to engulf him and let his beast out. Kagome watched in utter fascination as Sesshoumaru's eyes turned a deep crimson and his markings become more jagged. Suddenly his nose turned into a huge muzzle as his boa encased around him, he then shot up in the air and Kagome watched as his body expanded. He grew a long bushy tale as poison dripped from his fangs, he flew back down to her level and hovered by his father. He slowly approached his mother and mate being careful not to scare her. Kagome looked on at him in pure amazement and reached out to pet him as soon as he was close enough. He nudged his muzzled gently at her face causing her to giggle

"Sessh, you are so cute and fluffy" She beamed as she kissed just above his nose. He let out small grumbles like Inutaisho did causing Jen to laugh "What did he say?"

"He said he's not fluffy nor is he cute" She laughed "Kagome you're going to be the end of him" Inutaisho then nudged his pup's shoulder and motioned him to start the race. They both hovered side by side and waited for the other to move

"And...GO!" Inuyasha laughed as he watched his brother and father shoot off through the air "Awe man, I wish I could do that" When Kagome was sure her mate was out of hearing range she turned to Jen

"Uh Sesshoumaru was telling me earlier that Inutaisho named him when he was born, he said you didn't have a name lined up for him but I know you did. It must be really embarrassing if he wouldn't tell me, can I hear it?"

"He's always found it embarrassing" Jen mused "But at the time it was ten times better than the 'killing perfection'. I intended to call him..." She leaned into Kagome's ear and whispered the name. Immediately Kagome burst out laughing and gripped her now aching sides "You think it sounds that silly?"

"Sorry" She wiped away a tear "But when you look at Sesshoumaru and think of such a name you can't help but laugh, I mean come on. Did he honestly look like that for you to want to call him that?"

"Kagome when Sesshoumaru was born he was absolutely adorable, there was nothing muscular or manly about him. He was cute"

"I can't wait to tease him"

"Just make sure Inuyasha doesn't hear it, Sesshoumaru will kill both of us"

"I won't" She stifled her laugh "I still can't believe you were going to call him that"

"Just keep your voice down love" Jen hushed, though she couldn't help but smirk. She was almost grateful that her mate had named her son otherwise Sesshoumaru would be getting a lot of abuse "Let's hurry, I want to get there before sunset" Kagome nodded and Jen flew to catch up with Inuyasha and the rest...

After 4 hours or so the two taiyoukai returned in their humanoid forms, Inutaisho had Sesshoumaru by the waist for support whilst the young Prince just scowled. He obviously wasn't amused. They approached the group who greeted them rather kindly, well except Jen and Kagome. Kagome gapped at her mate wondering what the hell could have happened to have his father carrying him, Jen on the other hand was just plain angry "I knew you'd tire him out, for god's sake Inutaisho why wouldn't you listen to me?"

"Mother I'm fine" Sesshoumaru huffed as he pulled himself from his father's hold and stepped onto his own youkai cloud, he then flew over to them and took Kagome back into his care "Father refused to let me fly back as he was concerned I may tire, it was rather troublesome"

"I am only looking out for you pup, we wouldn't want to be carrying you unconscious into Kagome's home now would we" Inutaisho explained

"I am not a little pup father, I can take care of myself" He then sat down on his cloud bringing Kagome with him, she snuggled up into his lap and smiled when Sesshoumaru's arms wrapped themselves around her waist. Inutaisho was about to continue bickering with his son when Inuyasha stepped in

"Yo don't ya think we should keep heading to the well? I mean we want to get there before sunset, right? I doubt that'll work if we just keep bickering"

"You're right" Inutaisho sighed "Come we shall leave" He then moved his gaze to his eldest "We shall continue this later" Sesshoumaru ignored him and leaned his chin on Kagome's shoulder

"You've pissed him off big time" Jen growled at her mate before she followed Inuyasha, Inutaisho just sighed and followed the group. Kagome turned her face and pecked Sesshoumaru's cheek

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine" He replied rather coldly "Just simply fed up of being treated like a weakling"

"Your parents don't mean it that way love, they are just worried. It's perfectly normal, just be grateful you're not a girl. They'd never leave you on your own, just like you will be when Rin reaches that age" She heard Sesshoumaru growl slightly and smirked "Well she'll be out finding a mate and making love to someone one day"

"No she won't" He growled "She will stay a virgin until the day she dies, I shall see to it that she does"

"Yeah yeah whatever Sen (wood fairy)" She grinned evilly. Sesshoumaru frowned and sat upright

"What did you just call me?" She looked up at him and shrugged

"I called you Sesshoumaru, that is your name" She rolled her eyes "Hey do you think there's any wood fairies anywhere? Ne Sen?" When Sesshoumaru huffed she burst out laughing

"You're dead" He then grabbed her by the arm and flung her from the cloud, no, he couldn't drop her as he had a firm grip of her arm. Kagome let out a startled shriek causing everyone to turn and gasp

"Sesshoumaru what on earth are you doing?" Inutaisho demanded. Had his boy gone mad?

"Ask my dear mother" He growled. Jen smiled sheepishly and kind of shrunk behind Inuyasha

"Well she wanted to know, Sesshoumaru, and she does have a right to since she's your mate" She defended "Now be careful, she's carrying your pup"

"Sesshoumaru Taisho you wait until I get my hands around your throat" Kagome screamed "I'll kill you! Pull me back up"

"Well at least you know my name now" He smirked as he pulled her back up and into his lap "That's your punishment"

"Wait until I tell my mom" She huffed "Jerk"

"Uh what just happened?" Inuyasha asked "Kags what did ya do to piss him off?"

"None of your business" Jen pinched Inuyasha's nose playfully "Let's stop lingering, we need to be at Kagome's home before sunset" Everyone nodded and continued North...

Sunset had finally come and everything was peaceful. The smaller and weaker youkai had gone into hiding for the night whereas humans retreated back to the safety of their villages. Stronger youkai woke from their daily nap and went on the hunt, mating season was coming to an end and some youkai still weren't sated. Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha and Co. landed beside the great tree Goshinboku and rested, the well was only passed the trees so there was no rush. It was not like they were being expected. The group had set up a fire and were now cooking up some ramen.

Kagome was currently sitting beneath Goshinboku, her stomach kept doing back-flips as she thought about what was to come. She didn't know what her mother's reaction would be, the woman had always been unpredictable. She knew that she'd obviously be angry and upset, but would she also be happy? Would she kick her only daughter out? No, her mother wasn't cruel and heartless and she loved her. Her grandfather would be disappointed, that was definite. He might not be as angry though considering it was Sesshoumaru she mated. Then again Sesshoumaru may be a Prince but he was also a youkai, something her grandfather completely detested. Souta wouldn't really mind, all he would worry about was if it was a boy or girl. He'd love a new playmate. Sure Inuyasha was fun but too rough to play with, Kagome couldn't count the amount of times Inuyasha had almost broken the boy's limbs. Obviously it was all by accident but he still received whacks from her grandfather. And how would her friends react to the news? They'd think she was a slut. And she couldn't actually tell them that it was okay because she was with the youkai Prince who was all over their history books. They'd think she was absolutely crazy. Well at least Hojo would back off. Hopefully when Sesshoumaru proposes home-schooling Kagome's mother will agree to the plan and pull Kagome from school.

The little miko wrapped her arms around her woozy stomach and sighed. Man she was worried, no, that was an understatement, she was terrified. Sesshoumaru saw the distressed look in his mate's eyes and sat down beside her. Her wrapped his arm around her and kissed her cheek "Are you alright?" She shook her head and leaned into his embrace "I'm sure everything will be fine, everyone will be there for you"

"I suppose, I feel sick" She groaned "And I don't think it's the baby's doing"

"Are you okay? Perhaps you're coming down with something" Sesshoumaru's features betrayed no emotion but his eyes did. He checked Kagome's fever making Inutaisho laugh

"Sesshoumaru she's not coming down with anything, she's nervous that's all" He explained "It is only natural for her to feel like this" Sango then served out ramen to everyone, Kagome reluctantly took the bowl from her sister and almost gagged. How could she eat at a time like this? She was trying her best not to heave as it was.

"Kagome you have to eat" Sango smiled "You're eating for two now"

"Sango's right Kagome" Jen added as she evaluated the foreign food "We can't have you falling ill, you're carrying a youkai inside of you. I suppose the pup itself will be troublesome enough as it is. Having it go without food will just give you hell. If it has Sesshoumaru's poison claws you'll be in agony"

"Uh Jen, ya supposed to be reassuring her. Not scaring the freaking life out of her" Inuyasha rolled his eyes and turned to his sister "The brat can't do anything to ya at the moment, it's hardly grown"

"Alright I'll eat" Kagome sighed as she took abnormally small bites of her ramen, she tried her best to keep it all down and somehow succeeded. Sesshoumaru wasn't really hungry but he ate the food just to keep Kagome happy, she didn't need to be worrying over him as well.

Soon everyone had finished and were packing up. The ones who would be travelling with Kagome would be Sesshoumaru, Inutaisho, Jen, Inuyasha and Sango whilst Miroku stayed behind with the children, animals and Jaken. They didn't need a house full of youkai, hyper children and perverted monks. Once everything was packed up Kagome threw her pack over her shoulders and the now smaller group moved to the enchanted well. As soon as Kagome's fingers scraped the rim of the well she turned to her family "I suggest we go on in pairs, the well isn't big enough for all of us to jump down at once. Inuyasha you've been down before so holding Sango with you will be fine, I'll take Sesshoumaru with me and Inutaisho you and Jen will go down together"

"But Kagome, neither of them have passed through the well before" Inuyasha said rather confused

"I know, I've got an idea" She then pulled her bracelet from her wrist and tied it around Jen's "Inutaisho, you'll have to hold onto Jen as you two pass through" He reluctantly nodded and Kagome turned to Sesshoumaru "I guess it's now or never" He smiled softly and pulled her to him

"Everything will be fine" He then lifted her bridal style and stood onto the rim of the well, praying for it to work Sesshoumaru jumped down the well. Kagome was overly relieved when the blue light engulfed them both as they landed in the Higurashi shrine. She looked up to find the roof of the well house and motioned for Sesshoumaru to look up

"I guess it worked" Nodding he jumped out of the well and set Kagome down "We better not hold hands or anything until we tell my mom"

"Understood" He then pondered "Why did you only give my mother something from your time? If you gave my father something as well they should have been able to pass through without touching each other" He then saw Kagome smirk evilly

"I thought it'd be funny, just think of it as payback for your parents belittling you"

"Hmm you are many things Kagome Higurashi" He pulled her to him and smashed his lips against hers. As he did so Inuyasha jumped out of the well and rolled their eyes at them. Kagome then pulled away from his lips

"My name is Kagome Taisho, must I remind you?" Sesshoumaru smirked and pressed his forehead against hers

"Ne Sessh, her grandfather might come in now" Inuyasha laughed when Sesshoumaru immediately pulled away. Before he could pummel his brother, the blue light in the well erupted and out jumped a very annoyed Inutaisho and a very frustrated Jen

"Everything alright?" Kagome stifled a giggle. They both shot her a small glare and Jen returned her bracelet to her

"You'll pay for that my dear daughter-in-law" Jen frowned

"I don't know what you're talking about" Kagome laughed as she tied her bracelet back on "Just to give you guys a warning, when we leave the well house you're gonna smell all these toxic fumes. They will most probably make you feel dizzy and will burn your sensitive noses. They should go away when we get inside though. They nodded to show they understood and Kagome led them out of the well house, passed the present Goshinboku and into her own home. The youkai wrinkled their poor noses and sighed in relief when they got into the clean air of Kagome's home. "Mom I'm back" Mrs Higurashi left the kitchen and almost jumped a mile when she saw everyone

"Well dear you sure brought a party back" She smiled as she approached them "It's nice to meet you, I'm Sakura Higurashi" Inutaisho kissed her hand and smiled back

"It is nice to meet you, I am King Inutaisho"

"Oh" She then moved her gaze to Sesshoumaru "From the resemblance you must be Prince Sesshoumaru"

"A pleasure" He bowed his head slightly

"My it is obvious to tell that you and Inuyasha are brothers, those eyes of yours" She winked "I hope you're not as reckless and mischievous as Inuyasha though"

"I assure you I am not" He smiled softly, he was so not used to this. Jen then stepped forward and curtsied to Sakura

"I'm Queen Jen, I'm Sesshoumaru's mother" Sakura smiled and curtsied back

"Lovely to meet you" Her gaze then fell upon Sango

"Oh yeah, this is my gal" Inuyasha grinned "Her name's Sango, she's the girl I was telling you about last time"

"It's so nice to finally meet you" Sakura smiled as she shook Sango's hand "Kagome has told me so much about you"

"It's nice to meet you too" Sango returned the gesture "Kagome never stops talking about you"

"Keh she never stops talking anyway" Before Inuyasha could receive a slap from either Sesshoumaru or Sakura Souta ran downstairs and latched onto Inuyasha "Hey Souta"

"Hey yourself" He grinned "Come on upstairs, I have a great new fighting game"

"Souta" Sakura laughed "Let Inuyasha relax before you start dragging him around the house, he's only just walked through the door. Please all of you come through to the living room where you can relax, I'm sure you've had a tiring journey. Kagome dear your grandfather is out at the moment, it's his bingo night"

"I know" Kagome replied as they all entered the living room and sat down. Sesshoumaru was beside Kagome with Jen beside him and then Sango whilst Inuyasha sat in between her legs with Souta in his lap whereas Inutaisho leaned sat on one of the loungers. Sakura Higurashi leaned against the wall and looked at her daughter

"So what's the problem? You haven't been gone long" Kagome gave a nervous laugh and tried to give her one of her best smiles

"W-well I want you t-to meet Sesshoumaru" She replied trying her best not to throw up "You wanted to meet my...boyfriend and these are obviously his family"

"And it is an absolute pleasure to meet the young lad who's seeing my daughter but that is not the full reason why you're here, is it?" She saw Kagome gulp "Now I know why you came whilst your grandfather was out"

"...uh..."

"What have you done?"

"Well...I...I'm..." Her hands were shaking. Sakura smiled softly and kneeled in front of her daughter, she took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze

"You can tell me anything Kagome, I won't get mad. That is the bond between a mother and her child"

"See Sesshoumaru it's not just me" Jen spoke up causing Sakura to laugh "He's not one to talk much"

"Mother" Sesshoumaru warned through gritted teeth. Kagome gave a small smile and let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding

"You promise you won't get mad or scream at me?" Sakura nodded "I-I know you told me not to...but it wasn't like we could help it and a lot of girls have done it these days and well..." Sakura cut in

"You're pregnant, aren't you?" Kagome nodded and squeezed her eyes shut waiting for the screaming to break loose "Okay"

"Huh?" Kagome's eyes snapped open as she looked at her mother "Why aren't you screaming at me?"

"Who do you think I am? Your grandfather?" She mused "I knew this would happen, I knew as soon as you walked through the door. Both of you..." She motioned to Kagome and Sesshoumaru "...looked overly nervous but I could also see the love in both of your eyes"

"So you're not mad?"

"I admit I'm not pleased with the news but I'm not angry at you, I know you're not immature and you are very smart. I know you wouldn't do anything unless you felt you were ready and absolutely sure. I know you're not going to be one of these single parents or these irresponsible mothers who have like twelve children with all different fathers"

"Awe mom" Kagome wrapped her arms around her mother and cried "You have no idea how much I've been stressing over this, I've been needing to throw up and everything"

"You should have known I wouldn't have screamed at you" Sakura returned the hug

"But" Kagome pulled away from her mother "You weren't that happy when you found out"

"Because the first thing you told me was that you were seeing a youkai and then when you told me it was Inuyasha's older brother, the same one who tried to harm you before" She then eyed Sesshoumaru playfully "Trying to harm my daughter, Prince or not I should give you a slap"

"Be my guest" Inutaisho laughed "I never knew you tried to kill Kagome when you first met her"

"I didn't know her" Sesshoumaru defended "And Inuyasha and I hated each other then, she was screaming at me"

"Then I deserve it" Kagome mused as she kissed Sesshoumaru's cheek "You _do _after all have sensitive hearing"

"Kagome" The little miko met her mother's now serious gaze "You understand that we will have a harder time telling your grandfather" Kagome nodded "I shall sit him down and tell him first" She then turned to Jen and Inutaisho "If it is not too much trouble could you speak on your son's behalf, if my dear old father sees him first he'll flip"

"Of course" Jen smiled

"As long as your father doesn't try to purify us" Inutaisho chuckled

"Hmm" Sakura smiled "During this time I suggest you kids all retreat upstairs until I call you"

"Thanks for all of this mom" Kagome sighed gratefully "I don't think I could have done it on my own"

"I doubt you would have been on your own love" She motioned to the rest in the room "You'll always have someone there for you" She then turned to Sesshoumaru "And I expect you to look after my daughter, I don't want her heart to be broken...again" She eyed a now shrinking Inuyasha

"I assure you I will do no such thing" Sesshoumaru explained "I love your daughter very much and intend to be with her until we die"

"So I'm guessing you will want to get hitched" Sakura asked

"Get hitched?" The phrase was foreign to the young Prince. This made Kagome giggle

"She means marriage or mating"

"Kagome you mean a mating ceremony" Inutaisho smirked "Being mated is the personal part of the process as it happens during intercourse but a mating ceremony is like a human bonding where the couple officially reveal their bonding"

"So I'm guessing we're gonna need on of those" Kagome smiled as she looked up at Sesshoumaru

"I believe we will have to do both" Sesshoumaru smirked "A mating ceremony is a youkai custom but I am sure you would like a human marriage"

"You'd do that for me?" Kagome beamed. He nodded and she wrapped her arms around his neck "I love you so much" Sesshoumaru returned the embrace

"I love you too mate" He didn't even realize his slip until his mother slapped his arm

"Mate?" Sakura began "Is that what a youkai calls the girl he's courting?"

"Uh a mate is more than a partner" Jen explained as she shifted in her seat "A mate is a bond, it cannot be separated unless one of them dies"

"So you two have mated?"

"Yeah" Kagome pulled down her collar to reveal the mating mark "It just happened, we didn't plan it"

"It looks like a love bite" Sakura brushed her fingers over the mark

"Well Sesshoumaru is a dog in so many words" Kagome replied "So it is normal for him to nip and bite...he wouldn't hurt me though"

"I should have asked your permission first, I apologize" Sesshoumaru said. Jen and Inutaisho watched their son and smiled proudly

"Oh don't be silly darling" Sakura brushed off "You two are in love and you only wished to be closer with my daughter, you seem like a responsible and mature young man. I feel I can trust you to protect my daughter" Sesshoumaru nodded and thanked her "Are you hungry Kagome? You have to eat for two now, I don't want you neglecting your new responsibility"

"I'm fine mom" Kagome laughed, already finding her mother's overprotective self annoying "Sesshoumaru and everyone made sure I ate just before we came" Sakura nodded and stood

"Well how about you kids go on upstairs so us parents can talk about more adult issues?"

"Fine" Kagome groaned as she stretched "You can't treat me like a kid any more mom, I'm carrying one"

"You're still 15" She reminded "You'll always be my little girl to me" Kagome rolled her eyes and stood with Sesshoumaru

"Well is your little girl aloud to take her boyfriend and friends to her bedroom?" Sakura nodded and smiled softly when she saw Kagome take Sesshoumaru's hand and lead him out of the room with Inuyasha, Sango and Souta following. She then sat down beside Jen and brushed the dust off her skirt

"Right, now that the children are gone we can have a proper chat"

"Of course" Jen nodded

"I need to know where Kagome will be living and how we are going to sort out school"

"Well naturally Kagome will be living in the palace with us" Inutaisho spoke up as he sat next to Jen so he could be more involved in the conversation "She is perfectly safe there, I have over 200 hundred guards who adore her. They watch her every move and see to it personally that she is protected at all times"

"The servants also adore her and help her with everything, I've noticed Kagome does not like them to do any jobs for her so they have to find a way to do her cleaning and laundry" Jen mused "I had to explain to Kagome that it is their job so we had to start referring to it as 'helping'"

"That's Kagome for you" Sakura mused "She hates people doing things like that for her, at dinner she always does the dishes and when she can she cleans the house. She always tries to get me to sit back and relax whilst she does everything. She can't understand that it's the mother's job to look after things not the child's"

"Sesshoumaru isn't like that" Jen sighed "Since he is the crowned Prince of Japan he has to pretty much lock himself in his study and do all the work such as work on land treaties and so on"

"Though I shall be taking that responsibility back" Inutaisho explained "Sesshoumaru may be centuries old for humans but in your ages he is simply 17. I don't want him to be cooped up in the palace doing such things when he could be out enjoying himself with his mate"

"You two seem to really look out for him and Kagome. He must be very close to you both"

"Uh...not to me" Inutaisho awkwardly replied "This will be hard to believe but I have just been revived from the dead. Sesshoumaru and I have a rather rocky relationship from the past, but we are working on it. Inuyasha has only known me for roughly three days so I am trying to work up a relationship with him too. Jen though, I believe is very close to Sesshoumaru"

"It must have been very hard to lose each other" Sakura sympathized "When I lost my husband the pain was unbearable"

"Inutaisho and myself still somehow have our mating bond, even though he died. But we're not in love any more. We both drifted apart and that's how Inutaisho met his other lover and had Inuyasha. He died protecting Inuyasha" Jen smiled softly, Inutaisho was shocked at how carefully she worded everything. He thought that'd she try something like say he abandoned them but she didn't, he would have to thank her for that later

"So you no longer love each other yet you're still bonded?" They nodded "Well no offence but what if this happens to Prince Sesshoumaru and Kagome?"

"It won't" Inutaisho stated "Youkai males can take more than one lover, I did it without Jen's consent. Before my death I wasn't the best father or mate. Sesshoumaru would never do what I did, he made that quite clear to me the other night when we argued. I can see how much he loves Kagome. She's made him so happy, he hasn't smiled so much since he was a pup"

"You see Sesshoumaru didn't have the best upbringing, he couldn't be just a child he had to be a Prince as well. We pressured him too much and were rather strict, this resulted in his bad attitude. When Inutaisho died Sesshoumaru began very emotionless and very distant, he was utterly ruthless and began to hate humans. But when he fell for Kagome his attitude began to change for the better. I've noticed he's beginning to show more emotions and is even starting to confide in us" Jen then smiled to herself "I never thought I could have the old him back but then your daughter came along, I am so grateful she came into our lives. I love her so much, she's like the daughter I never had" Sakura smiled back and placed her hand on Jen's shoulder

"Kagome had always had that effect on people, she's such a lovely girl and I am proud to call her my daughter. I'm glad she is helping you rebuild the relationship between you and Prince Sesshoumaru. He seems like such a lovely boy, I would never have though his upbringing was unpleasant"

"It's all thanks to your daughter" Inutaisho smiled "And Mrs Higurashi you do not have to address our son as a Prince nor us by our titles, we are all family now. Kagome is also a Princess now, though she will not have such a heavy duty as myself, Jen and Sesshoumaru"

"Speaking of Sesshoumaru he told me of a way to help Kagome with her absence in her school. He suggested that you withdraw her from school and say that your are going to tutor her"

"That's a great idea" Sakura gasped "Why didn't I think of that? The school are getting really suspicious lately with all of Kagome's strange illnesses. I can say I'm pulling her out of school and shall teach her myself, I _do _have a degree in teaching after all. They will most probably send me papers for her exams but I will just do them myself, I doubt Kagome will need school any more. She is after all going to have a baby and shall be living with you, I will only have to do it for a year anyway. At 16 you are legally able to leave school"

"We can have her schooled back in our time" Inutaisho suggested "Though I don't know how the teaching tactics have changed"

"I doubt Kagome will have the time now Inutaisho" Jen explained "She will be worrying too much on being a mother"

"This is true"

"Do you know how long she intends on staying here? Not that I mind or anything, it's just I have to shop for groceries and so on"

"I believe she said something like 2 or 3 days, I believe she wants to go to school tomorrow"

"Good thing I just washed her uniform then" Sakura mused "Well now for sleeping arrangements" She pondered "Even though I don't like it because she's still my little girl, I suppose Sesshoumaru could sleep with Kagome. Inuyasha and Sango can have the guest room, Jen you can sleep with me and Inutaisho you could either sleep with my father or have the couch. I really suggest the couch, my grandfather isn't a peaceful sleeper"

"Youkai don't sleep as much as humans so I shall be fine on the couch" Inutaisho replied with a grin "Though if I may, I would request a book or so to keep me occupied"

"Of course or you can watch the TV" Sakura then picked up the remote and hit the on switch, the TV then came on startling the two youkai "It's okay, this is our entertainment these days" She then explained what a television exactly was and left them alone to indulge in it as she went to do some laundry.

Kagome let Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha and Sango to her bedroom with Souta following behind. She closed her bedroom and stifled a giggle when she saw the curious, confused and shocked looks on Sesshoumaru's and Sango's face – obviously Inuyasha had seen it all before – the room was its usual pink shade and was rather simple. It had a wardrobe, a desk, a LCD TV on her wall, a single bed and then all girly things such as jewellery, make-up, bags, shoes and even posters of her favourite bands and artists "Well make yourselves comfy" Kagome jumped onto her bed Sesshoumaru then came and sat beside her. Sango was going over all of Kagome's things whilst Inuyasha just sat on the floor wrestling with Souta "Don't hurt him Yash, last time you almost broke his arm. Gramps wouldn't stop hitting you with the broom"

"I know" He then winced remembering Kagome's grandfather repeatedly hitting him on the head with that damned broom

"Kagome your room is beautiful" Sango smiled as her fingers traced over the shelf full of small dolphin ornaments and Disney crystals

"Thanks" She then looked at her clock and sighed "It's 7am, Gramps will be home soon" Sesshoumaru wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her cheek

"I'm sure everything will be fine, your mother seems happy enough"

"I know, I can't believe she was so okay about it. Then again she always had a soft spot for babies" She winked "I'll be going to school tomorrow so you guys will all have to stay here and wait for me. You can't come"

"It is not safe for you to be travelling on your own in your condition, I do not know the dangers of this place. Something could happen to you" Sesshoumaru frowned. Kagome smiled softly and took his free hand

"My time period isn't as dangerous as yours, I'm in more danger back in yours. Nothing will happen to me in broad daylight, I'll be around loads of people so it's not like some pervert will grab me and drag me away"

"I still don't like it"

"Sessh, I'll be fine" Kagome gave his hand a reassuring squeeze "If you want I'll call my friends and ask them to meet me here and I will walk to school with them" He nodded and she leaned over to her bedside table. She opened her draw and pulled out her mobile, she then pressed a few buttons and held it to her ear

"What's that?" Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha and Sango asked

"It's called a mobile phone, it's a communication device. It's..." She was cut off by a voice on the other end "Hello? Ayumi? Hi how are you? Yeah I'm feeling much better thanks. Huh? Oh yeah...my swollen ankle is better..." She rolled her eyes, she was going to kill her Gramps "Ne I was thinking, would you like to meet at my house tomorrow so we could walk to school together, I mean you only live across the street from me and my mom wants me to have some company just in case I...collapse? Really? Awe thanks Ayumi. Hmm? All of you will come? Great! What? Hojo?" She heard Sesshoumaru growl slightly "He's been pestering you about me? Gee can't the guy take a hint? You what?" She began to laugh "You kneed him in the groin? Why? Oh my god what a pervert. Like he could take my virginity it's alright gone" She then blushed and cursed herself with that outburst "W-who you ask? My b-boyfriend, no not that one. Look I'll tell you, my boyfriend is only in town for one night so I want to have as much time with him as possible. Thanks for understanding. Okay, see you in the morning. Bye" Kagome then hung up her phone to find a very angry looking Sesshoumaru "What?"

"Some male was being persistent about taking you?" He growled

"Apparently" She then whispered "Sessh, let's not discuss this in front of my 8 year old brother" He nodded and calmed down "Ne do you guys want to watch a movie?"

"Movie?" They all asked making Souta laugh

"Yeah you watch it on the TV" Souta explained. Mostly to Inuyasha though since he was the only person he knew "Remember a TV? We watched it downstairs once when I was drying your hair"

"Oh yeah" Inuyasha grinned "That was awesome. Ne Sessh Sango you'll love it"

"A comedy or horror?" Souta asked his sister

"Well not a horror, they'll destroy the TV. Especially Inuyasha" Kagome mused as she slid off the bed and grabbed a few DVDs from the rack "Hmm instead of a comedy how about we watch Twilight? Sango you'll love it for the romance and the boys will like it for the fighting scenes"

"Sure" Sango smiled

"The guy in it is absolutely hot" Kagome then mentally slapped herself forgetting Sesshoumaru was in the room

"Hot?" Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru asked. Sango had heard Kagome say it before so she knew what it meant

"Uh...it means...like a really nice guy. Like he's not an asshole...yeah that's it" They both nodded. Sesshoumaru saw the lie in her eyes but decided to leave her be. Kagome then slotted the DVD in and grabbed the remote "Sango sit on the bed with me and Sesshoumaru, I'm sure you don't want to be on the floor with the idiots"

"Hey!" Inuyasha growled

"Shut up Kagome" Souta snapped "I'm not an idiot, I'm smarter than you"

"No you're not" Kagome poked her tongue out as she sat down in between Sesshoumaru and Sango

"Yeah I am, you're a stupid girl so you don't know anything"

"At least I don't wet the bed"

"I don't either!" He shouted as he stood up

"Yes you do and you cry like a big baby when you can't get your way"

"I don't! I'm telling!!!" Souta then ran out of the room shouting to his mother "Mom, Kagome's embarrassing me in front of her friends and boyfriend. She's saying I wet the bed and that I'm stupid"

"Kagome stop teasing your brother" Sakura shouted up

"I'm not!" Kagome shouted making both Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha wince "Whoops, sorry guys" She snuggled up to her mate and kissed his cheek "I forgot how sensitive your hearing was"

"I guessed" Sesshoumaru mused as he leaned down and captured her lips in a passionate kiss. Kagome was pulled away from him when she heard Sango gasp

"Ne Kagome who is that guy?" She pointed to the screen where Edward Cullen had just made his appearance

"He's the hot guy I was telling you about" She winked. Yep that was their new code word for absolutely gorgeous "He's a vampire, they are like mythological creatures who if they bite you can turn you into one of them. They are like the walking dead"

"What Kikyo?" Sango snickered

"She better not have been" Inuyasha shuddered as he joined his mate on the bed "She never bit my neck...so I can't be a vampire, right?"

"Oh I don't know Inuyasha" Kagome laughed "Ne Sango, Inuyasha bit you too. You might be a vampire too"

"Well if I'll be like him" She pointed to the screen "Then I don't mind"

"This 'hot' you two keeps saying" Sesshoumaru met his mate's now weary gaze "It means attractive, doesn't it?" Knowing she couldn't lie Kagome just gave a nervous laugh

"In all fairness Sessh, I saw him before you" She then pecked his lips "You are way hotter" She winked

"So that is what you meant when you said I look hot or something when I get jealous or protective"

"Exactly" She winked. She was about to kiss him again when she heard the front door opening and closing

"Sakura, Souta I'm home"

"Crap" Kagome cursed "Gramps is home"

"Sessh, do ya want lilies or daisies at your funeral?" Inuyasha snickered "Because once Kagome's grandfather finds out ya banged his only granddaughter he'll kill ya"

"Shut up" Sesshoumaru warned "Or I'll throw you straight into Goshinboku"

"Bring it"

"Shh" Kagome hushed as she slid off the bed and creaked her bedroom door open slightly. She listened intently as she heard her mother introduce Jen and Inutaisho to her Gramps. "Everything is going fine so far"

"Kagome" Sango sighed as she slid from the bed and approached her sister. She then pushed the bedroom door closed and pulled Kagome away from it "You're just going to put yourself on edge if you eavesdrop"

"You're right, I just need to be positive. I need..."

"SHE'S PREGNANT?!" Immediately Kagome began shaking and groaned

"Wow he _is _pissed" Inuyasha gapped

"Yash, not now" Sango warned "Everything is going to be fine Kagome"

"It won't" She began pacing the room "He's gonna kill me, he'll disown me, he'll try to purify Sesshoumaru, I won't be welcome here again, he..." Sesshoumaru jumped off the bed and pulled Kagome into his embrace

"Calm yourself mate, don't get worked up" He kissed her forehead as she clutched to him

"Sesshoumaru" She looked up at him "If my Gramps tries to hit you with a broom or anything don't kill him, don't harm him. Please?"

"I won't touch him Kagome" He rubbed her back reassuringly "I'll be by your side through all of this" She nodded and buried her head into his haori "Our parents will sort this whole ordeal out now"

"You think so?" She sniffled as tears formed in her eyes. He understood that she was upset and why but it still angered him to no end, he hated to see her upset

"I know so" There was then a knock on her bedroom door and Sakura walked in, she immediately grew concerned when she saw her daughter crying

"Kagome? Are you alright?" She approached the couple when Kagome lifted her tear filled gaze to her mother's "Why are you crying sweetheart?"

"Gramps hates me" She wiped her eyes with her sleeve "I heard the tone in his voice when he shouted"

"He was just shocked love" Sakura reassured. Sesshoumaru released Kagome to let her mother step in "Come on, everything is alright" She rubbed her daughter's back soothingly "He's a bit annoyed but he doesn't hate you. Just be grateful that is was Sesshoumaru who got you pregnant" She then looked up at Sesshoumaru "My father looks at you as his idol"

"Why is that?" Sesshoumaru asked as he ran his claws through Kagome's hair affectionately

"Since you're from the past we have scrolls on your achievements and how you came to power. There's a lot of things in those darn scrolls, ever since he found out you were courting Kagome he hasn't stopped reading them" She sighed "He wants to meet you, he'll most probably freak you out a little" She winked "He wants to see you too Kagome" The little miko nodded and wiped the remainder of her tears away "Inuyasha. You and Sango come too, Kagome needs the support"

"Kay, but I'm staying well clear of Gramps. He hits me too much" He then stood and took Sango's hand "Ha I have a shield"

"Inuyasha!" Sango slapped him. Kagome smiled softly as she watched her friends, Sesshoumaru leaned down and kissed her cheek

"I'll be right beside you" She nodded and gave him a small hug

"I'd rather be facing Naraku right now" She joked

"Me too" Inuyasha shuddered. Sakura smiled as she watched the interaction between them all, she then lead them all downstairs and into the living room. Kagome saw her grandfather and shrunk behind her mother slightly.

"Now dad you've been worrying Kagome all night" Sakura huffed "I don't want you to upset her tonight, nor do I want you embarrassing her in front of her boyfriend and his family" Gramps nodded and stood. He then gave a short bow to Sesshoumaru who returned the gesture "Well let's all sit and discuss everything" Everyone nodded and took the same seats they sat in earlier. Sakura sat beside her father and began the soon to be painful discussion "Dad don't you have something to say to Kagome?"

"Yes" He cleared his throat "Kagome, I am going to be honest with you. I'm not happy in the slightest that you're pregnant even though I warned you not to..."

"I didn't plan it Gramps" Kagome defended

"Let me finish my girl" He sighed "Though I am not happy I am willing to allow you to keep the baby, the child may have been an accident but you're not a silly little girl who doesn't know when to say no. I know what you did was out of confidence and adoration so I am willing to look over this" Kagome nodded "Well at least the guy who got you pregnant was his great and mighty highness and not that Hojo boy" Inuyasha snickered at the title he gave his older brother

"I was thinking more on the lines of arrogant and asshole highness" Sesshoumaru backhanded his brother and resisted the urge to roll his eyes

"Inuyasha watch your mouth" Inutaisho warned

"I assure you I will not let any harm befall Kagome" Sesshoumaru explained "I would die before I let anything happen to her or our unborn child"

"I have read many things about you your highness" Gramps stated as he sipped some of his tea "You're known to be most honourable and powerful. You are supposed to be one of the most strongest youkai in your time and one of the most respected. Your are known to be loyal and trustworthy as well as a great leader and protective of the things you love. I know you will be there for my Kagome and will protect her when I can't"

"I love your granddaughter very much, with your permission I would like to have a mating ceremony with her as well as marry her" Kagome turned to look at Sesshoumaru and smiled warmly, she mouthed 'I love you' causing him to smile back

"You have my blessings your highness" Gramps replied with a small smile "Though I did not appreciate you impregnating her"

"I understand and I deeply apologize. It was not planned I assure you, though I will love and protect this pup as much as I do Kagome"

"That was the answer I expected" He then moved his gaze "I'm sorry I've worried you Kagome, I should have known better. But this old fool doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut"

"Thanks Gramps" Kagome smiled back "I love you loads"

"I love you too darling. Though we still need to discuss your school"

"Oh need to dad" Sakura stepped in "Jen told me a proposal that Sesshoumaru had thought up earlier. I could say I'm home-schooling Kagome due to the increase of her bad health"

"What an excellent idea" Gramps beamed "I was starting to run out of ideas for illnesses. Prince Sesshoumaru you now most definitely have my blessings"

"Gramps" Kagome sighed "Oh and in the morning Ayumi and the girls will be calling for me to walk me to school, Sesshoumaru didn't want me walking on my own and since he can't come with me I said I'd take my friends"

"Gee you weren't kidding when you said you were protective" He mused "His highness just keeps getting better and better"

"Gramps you're embarrassing" Kagome groaned as she lay her head on Sesshoumaru's arm

"How am I?"

"You keep praising him up like no tomorrow" She huffed "I realize you idolize him but you don't have to kiss his butt, he may be a Prince and everything but it's still no excuse" Sakura then stepped in before an argument broke out

"Right now for sleeping arrangements" She smiled cheery "Inutaisho will be on the couch, Jen will be with me, Inuyasha and Sango will be in the guest room. Kagome. You and Sesshoumaru can sleep in your room but you still have to be up early for school in the morning"

"Thank you" She beamed

"Well it's 7:45pm Kagome, I suggest you go have a bath and then you and Sesshoumaru can watch a film alone in peace" Sakura suggested

"Sure" Kagome replied

"Sango, Inuyasha, the guest room has its own bathroom and TV as well so feel free to use them"

"Thanks" Inuyasha grinned as he stood with Sango "See ya in the morning" They then left to the room

"Souta go on up now, I don't want you on that game tonight either. You've been on it since you came home from school"

"Fine" He huffed as he stood "Goodnight" He then went up to bed for the night

"Come on then Sessh" Kagome beamed as she stood and dragged her mate to his feet "See ya in the morning"

"Kagome, when you go up have a look for some pyjamas for Sesshoumaru" Sakura called

"Don't worry mom, I packed him some when we at the palace"

"You did?" Sesshoumaru asked "When?"

"When you were sleeping. Goodnight guys" Kagome then took Sesshoumaru's hand and led him up to her room. Once inside she closed her bedroom door and let out a relieved sigh "And we're safe"

"And alone" He whispered huskily as he pushed her up against the door and pressed his lips against hers. She moaned into the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck. He then began to kiss down her neck and pulled her collar down as he went

"Sessh" She breathed as she entwined her fingers in his silver strands. "Ah" She gasped when she felt his hand slither up under her top "Eager?"

"Most definitely" He groaned as he nipped the mark on her neck "Shall we continue this on the bed?"

"Can I have a bath first?"

"Can I join you?"

"My mom might walk in"

"Let her" He let his hand trail down her stomach and to her womanhood

"Hn" She bucked against him "How about you have your way with me after my bath? I need to be clean for tomorrow"

"Then wouldn't it be smart to have some fun before or during your bath?"

"I can always take a quick shower in the morning, I just want to wash myself clean first. I don't want you to make love to me when I feel all sweaty"

"If that is what you wish" He then pecked her lips and pulled away from her "Don't leave me waiting long"

"Well wouldn't you like to clean up as well? I have a shower in the bathroom. You'll love it"

"Shower?" Before she could answer there was a knock on the door. Sesshoumaru took a step back as Kagome answered

"Oh hey mom"

"Just giving you your uniform" She smiled as she handed Kagome her clothes

"Ne mom would you approve if I have a bath and Sesshoumaru has a shower?"

"Of course not, just keep it down tonight" She winked. Her daughter had already gotten pregnant so there wasn't anything else that could possibly happen, and to be honest she preferred they did it here than back at the palace where she couldn't keep a watchful eye on Kagome. At least she knew she was safe here.

"Mom" Kagome groaned "You're so embarrassing" Sakura laughed and left the teenagers alone. Kagome groaned and threw her uniform on top of her desk. She was about to head to the bathroom when Sesshoumaru caught her waist and pulled her to him

"Allow me to help you into the spring my mate" Kagome giggled as Sesshoumaru lifted her into his arms and carried her off to the bathroom...

**Hey guys sorry I haven't updated in a while, I had a little reader's block**

**Well here it is and it's a long one**

**I'll put the lemon in the next chapter as I felt this one was getting a little too long**

**Hope you enjoyed it**

**Reviews please :)**

**Inuyashasesshy4eva**

**xXx**


	19. Hojo

Chapter Nineteen – Hojo

Sesshoumaru carried Kagome into the bathroom and eyed the room curiously "Where is the hot spring?"

"In my time you don't use a hot spring" Kagome giggled "Here you have a bath" She then jumped out of Sesshoumaru's hold and walked over to the bath "This is the bath" She sat on the edge as she popped the plug in and began to draw the bath "See this is called a tap, this is where we get our water supply from. There are two different taps, one has cold water and the other hot" Sesshoumaru nodded as he took in the information. Kagome then stood and moved to the shower, she then opened the glass door and turned on the shower "This is a shower, it's awesome. I know you'll love it" The young Prince walked up behind his mate and eyed the shower "It's not dangerous Sessh, I'll only be in the bath by there. You're not scared are you?"

"No" He replied as he pulled off his haori "Just curious" Kagome blushed at his topless form and moved to let her mate get into the shower. She went over to her bath and checked on it, seeing that it was full she turned the tap off and began to strip down. Turning to the shower she saw Sesshoumaru's now naked form standing under the water, Kagome walked over to his and grasped the glass door

"You have to close this so that the water doesn't go everywhere, once you're finished turn the tap until the water has stopped and push open the door to come out. There's a towel on the rack over there" He nodded and Kagome closed the glass door. She then finished getting undressed and sunk into the bath "Ah this is the life" She groaned as she splashed the warm water over her face. She turned back to see Sesshoumaru vaguely through the glass of the shower, she could see his perfect behind and grinned "Gorgeous" She whispered with a giggle

"What is?" She jumped, how could he have heard her?

"Umm...nothing" She heard him snort and turned back to cleaning herself. Finally modern shampoo and soap, god she missed this so much. Sure the soaps back in the feudal era were nice but she preferred hers so much more. Massaging the shampoo into her hair she sighed contently, this was the life. "You alright Sessh?"

"I'm fine" He replied. He had to admit, he could get used to this shower. He found it very relaxing indeed, it was much better than sitting beneath a waterfall. The water here was most definitely warmer. "Your time seems to have some very interesting things"

"Yep, but sometimes the things here can be bothersome. Like all the fumes you inhaled earlier. Humans from here have developed the world so much that they are beginning to destroy it, that's why I love your world so much. There's no pollution whatsoever"

"Though my world could do with things such as this shower" He mused making Kagome laugh

"Yep I have to agree with you there" Kagome then dunked her head under the water and rinsed the suds from her hair and body. She then pulled out the plug, jumped out of the bath and wrapped a towel around herself "Sessh are you gonna stay in there all night?" She walked over to the shower and opened the door, Sesshoumaru looked at her and smirked

"Do you wish to join me Kagome?"

"I'd rather you join me out here" She winked as she reached over into the shower and turned it off "Or do you love this shower more than me?" Sesshoumaru caught Kagome's chin and pecked her lips

"You're not jealous, are you?"

"A little" She pouted playfully

"Then I shall have to show you that there is nothing for you to be jealous over" He slithered his arm around her waist and leaned down to kiss her

"I don't think so" She grinned as she pulled away "You'll have to make it up to me later" She then threw him a towel and went off into her bedroom. Sesshoumaru smirked as he watched her retreating form, oh he'd show her alright. He wrapped the towel around his waist and followed Kagome back into the bedroom. There he found her holding something in her possession but couldn't make out what it was "Your night hakama is in my pack, make yourself comfortable. I won't be long" She then went back into the bathroom and closed the door before he could protest. What was his little miko up to? She was always a tricky one. Shrugging he dried himself off and pulled Kagome's pack out. He then pulled out his night hakama and slipped it on, he then threw the towel on her chair at her desk and made himself comfortable on the bed. He found the bed was too small for the both of them, they would both fit but they wouldn't exactly have much room to themselves. Why would her mother purchase such a small bed? Surely a double would have been better.

He was pulled from his thoughts when the sound of the bathroom door opening caught his attention, he looked up to find his mate wearing sexy black lingerie as she looked at him with lust filled eyes "Kagome?" He sat up on the bed and just gawked at her

"What's wrong?" She made her way over to him swaying her hips as she went. She then climbed onto the bed, straddled his waist and pushed him down to lie on the bed "You wanted to play, did you not? I just thought I'd give you something extra"

"I do want to play" He then flipped them so that he was on top "But remember my little miko, I'm the alpha and I'm in charge"

"Alright Mr. Alpha but don't make too much noise" Sesshoumaru smirked as he leaned down and licked the shell of her ear

"You're the one who does all the screaming" He then kissed down her neck as he went about worshipping every inch of her body "Beautiful" He breathed

"Hot" She giggled as she rubbed his ears "Sesshoumaru?" He stopped by her navel and looked up into her glossy sea-green eyes "Just make love to me"

"If that is what you wish" He then ran his tongue back up her body as he made his way to her luscious lips. She opened her mouth in a small pant giving Sesshoumaru the opportunity to dip his tongue into her moist cavern and taste her. She moaned into his lips as she wrapped her one arm around his neck as the other slithered down to undo the ties of his hakama. Sesshoumaru pulled away from her mouth and smirked at her "Eager aren't we"

"Yes" She then with his help pulled down his hakama and underwear and freed his already erect member "And you said I was eager"

"I don't deny that I am" He then ripped Kagome's underwear from her person and discarded it to the ground

"Sessh!" She slapped his arm "Those were a present"

"I am sure you can get new ones" Without warning he thrust into her causing her to forget about her underwear as she moaned out loud

"Ah" She threw her head back into the pillow as Sesshoumaru already began to thrust in and out of her with inhuman speed "Gods" She gasped "S-slow down" His reply was growl, this told her without even looking at him that his beast was out. She knew Sesshoumaru was no longer in control, this scared her this time. She didn't want their child harmed nor did she want her mother to hear Sesshoumaru's feral growls, it would most certainly sound like he was harming her "Sessh..." She panted "C-calm down"

"**Do not order me mate! I am alpha!" **His beast growled as he went even harder causing her slight pain

"Y-yes you are" She looked into his eyes as she whimpered "T-think of the p-pup" Unexpectedly she felt him release within her as he dug his claws into her arms, she bit back the urge to scream knowing that her mother would barge in. She felt his actions slow as he collapsed on top of her, she thanked god that he'd finished. Now all she had to worry about was if she could walk.

Sesshoumaru's eyes snapped open with their original golden shade, he was laying upon Kagome's rapidly rising and falling chest. Why was he panting? Why was she? His eyes widened when he smelt her blood, he immediately retracted his claws and grimaced when he heard her hiss. The scent of sex was in the air and he growled dangerously, his damned beast had taken over him and had mated Kagome violently. In so many words he felt he'd raped her. Pulling himself up to rest on his elbows Sesshoumaru looked into Kagome's half lidded and worried eyes "Kagome?"

"Hey" She smiled sadly "It's good to see you back to your normal self"

"My youkai side...it took over me...I..."

"I know" She caressed his face "You just better hope I can walk in the morning"

"Are you alright?" She nodded and sighed

"Are you gonna pull out of me or what?" She joked half-heartedly "I don't think I can do another round love" Sesshoumaru slowly eased out of her and immediately winced when he smelt blood. He sat back onto his knees to see her blood, he punched the bed and growled. Kagome reluctantly pulled herself into a sitting position and moved closer to her mate "Sessh?" She reached out to him

"Don't" He growled "How could you possibly want to touch me? I'm the cause of your bloodshed"

"You didn't do it by choice Sessh, your youkai side is just a little too rough"

"It should have known better, you are not a youkai. Your body cannot take my strength, this is why humans and youkai shouldn't mate"

"What so you're saying you don't want to be mated now?" She frowned "Sesshoumaru I may not be a powerful and mighty youkai but I'm not weak. I may be a human but I can look after myself. Not all humans are weak like you make them out to be" She then softened "I love you Sesshoumaru, I don't want to be parted from you over something so trivial"

"Nor do I" He met her gaze "Though this isn't trivial, I could have killed you. You've lost a lot of blood as it is, I can remember now" He held his hand to his head "You were begging me to stop"

"I wasn't begging I was asking you to calm down, I was worried about the pup that's all" She then reached out and caressed his face "And you couldn't have killed me, if my life was in real danger my reiki would have flared up and would have protected me"

"I suppose" He immediately averted his gaze when he felt her hand on his cheek "Though my actions were unforgivable"

"Stop dwelling Sessh, I'm fine and well. The pup is fine and well the only thing I'm annoyed about is that you climaxed when I didn't" She winked "You owe me" She then wrapped both arms around his neck and kissed his cheek "If you feel you have to make it up to me then you can hold me while we sleep, I know it's only 9pm but today has taken a lot out of me. I just want you to hold me Sessh" He nodded and buried his head into the crook of her neck

"I'm sorry" He mumbled

"Don't worry about it" She then gently nudged him off as she slid out of bed "Well at least I can walk" She teased as she made her way over to her draws and pulled out a cotton pink nightdress. She then unclipped her bra, slipped on some fresh underwear and put on her nightdress. She then returned to the bed and inspected it "Well at least we didn't get any blood on the bed, could you imagine trying to explain that to my mom" She then looked down at his hakama that was currently on the bed and frowned "I must have been laying on your hakama, it's covered in blood" She then pulled it from the bed and shoved it in her pack as she grabbed a fresh night hakama and underwear for her mate. She threw it to him as she zipped her pack back up. She then turned to him to see him in the hakama "Had do you change so fast?"

"I'm a youkai" He stated as she made her way back to him and sat on the bed

"My youkai" She smiled as she caught his hand and pulled him to lay with her "Do you still feel bad?" He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him as he looked down into her beautiful eyes

"I will always feel guilty for this" He replied as he kissed her forehead "I promise that it will never happen again though if it did happen again one day you must promise me that you will purify me"

"I won't do that" She frowned "And my purification powers don't affect you anyway" Sesshoumaru then smirked

"They do" She gapped at him "I just hide it"

"Thanks for telling me" She grinned "I know how to punish you now"

"I prefer your other punishments"

"I bet you do" She giggled as she leaned in and kissed him tenderly "If I promise to use my powers if you lash out again will you promise to stop dwelling on what happened tonight?" He nodded "Good, you know it wasn't that big a deal Sessh. Being run through by Naraku hurt a hell lot more"

"That is another thing that will never happen to you again" He growled slightly "That spider will never touch you again nor will he get our pup"

"We really need to find him before the baby's born" Kagome sighed "His power has increased because of the Shikon no Tama, I don't want our baby born with him still stalking around. He'll do whatever it takes to snatch our child from us"

"The only thing he shall receive from us is my sword running through his heart" Sesshoumaru reassured as he kissed her forehead "I shall protect you and the pup or die trying, you have my word on that"

"I know" She smiled as she closed her eyes and snuggled closer to him "You'll always be here to pick me up when I fall"

"Hn" Soon Kagome's breathing evened out as she fell into a deep slumber, Sesshoumaru tightened his grip on her as he unconsciously checked the room for any threats. Satisfied there wasn't any he too let his exhaustion claim him as sleep took over.

Sango and Inuyasha were cuddling up together in bed after one of their many love making sessions, they were both panting hard as they tried to regain their breath. Inuyasha wrapped a protective arm around his mate as Sango lay her head on his chest "Happy?" Sango mused as she looked up at her mate

"Most definitely" He winked as he kissed her forehead "Though I almost had a heart attack when Souta walked in on us"

"What do you expect? You were growling like an animal, he most probably thought we had some sort of dog in here" She laughed "And it's not like he caught on to what we were doing"

"Feh, at least he didn't see you naked. You had to throw the covers off just as I got on top"

"It's done now, no use in groaning over it" Sango then yawned "Let's just hope he doesn't say anything to Kagome or her mother"

"Or Sesshoumaru" Inuyasha huffed "The bastard wouldn't let me live it down"

"You know if you didn't always react when he teases you he wouldn't do it as much, how do you think he manages to ignore you?"

"Keh" Sango then saw a devilish smirk grace his features causing her to shake her head

"I know what you're thinking and it's a no, we've had 4 rounds tonight. I'm exhausted"

"Awe come on" Inuyasha nuzzled her head "Just one more round"

"Fine" She huffed "But if I can't walk in the morning you're the one explaining it to Kagome" Inuyasha grinned as he flipped them and began for another round

Inutaisho was laying downstairs on the couch, he couldn't get to sleep because his damned pups were at it like rabbits. Sure Inuyasha could do it but Sesshoumaru was going out on a limb to do that in Kagome's home when he was trying to impress her family. He rolled his eyes and sighed at his pup, he'd also heard Kagome telling him to calm down. That beast of his needed to be tamed when it came to Kagome, perhaps he would help Sesshoumaru with it in the morning. Well that is if he could get to sleep. He heard his youngest moan loudly causing him to sigh "Inuyasha keep it down" He whispered knowing that his youngest would hear him "Argh pups" He pulled the pillow from behind him and shoved it over his face, man this would be a long night...

The next morning Kagome was rudely awoken by her damned alarm clock, argh school. Right now she wished she was back in the feudal era. Why was she so insistent on going to school? Groaning she reached over and slapped the clock a few times before Sesshoumaru could destroy it. She then sat up and stretched, she looked down to find Sesshoumaru's arm still over her waist as he just frowned up at her "Hey" She smiled

"What was that deafening sound?" He tiredly groaned

"My clock, sorry if it woke you" She then slid out of bed and kissed his lips "I'm just gonna go for a shower" He nodded and she ran off to the bathroom. Sesshoumaru rubbed the sleep from his eyes and stretched, why the hell was he so tired? Shrugging it off Sesshoumaru sat up in the bed and took in all the surroundings, damn her room was even pinker in the daylight. The room itself was so bright, how could she take it? Hearing Kagome in the shower he slid out of bed and changed back into his clothes, he left his armour and swords by her desk not really seeing any need for them. He then went to her windowsill and looked out at her world, he could see brick houses, grey streets, children running off to school, people talking on the same device Kagome had out last night. But the one thing that confused him the most was the big metal boxes moving up and down the roads, he'd never seen anything like it before. He assumed it was her time's version of a horse and carriage, but it was still weird. He then looked to the shrine steps to see three girls who wore the same uniform as Kagome approaching the house. Kagome came out from the shower and went over to see what her mate was looking at, she saw her friends and frowned slightly. She looked at the clock to see it was only 7am, why were they here so early? School didn't start until 8pm "Those are the girls who will be walking with me to school" She explained whilst Sesshoumaru just nodded "They are good friends but they are always telling me to go and date Hojo"

"What type of friend would pressure you into doing something you don't want to do?" Sesshoumaru eyed his mate "Sango is fitting friend for you, you don't need those wenches"

"Well Sango can't actually go to school with me" She then grabbed her uniform and changed into it not really caring that Sesshoumaru was there with the curtains fully drawn

"Kagome your friends are here" Sakura called "I've sent them into the smaller sitting room, so hurry up love"

"Okay mom" Kagome then quickly brushed her hair and grabbed her school bag "They are like a half hour early" She sighed as she walked over to Sesshoumaru "You'll have to stay up here until we leave, I don't know how I'd explain you to them"

"That is understandable though I do not expect to be left empty handed" He then pulled her to him and crashed his lips against hers "Be careful"

"I will" She pecked his cheek

"Do not leave without eating something" Sesshoumaru warned "We need you and the pup healthy"

"Awe you're so considerate" She giggled "Don't worry I will, I doubt my mom would let me leave without eating anyway. See you after school, I'll miss you" She winked. She then left her mate in the bedroom and went downstairs into the smaller sitting room. She entered to find her friends sitting on the couch peering around the room "Hey guys"

"Kagome" They all beamed as they stood and hugged her

"Missed me that much?" She laughed

"How are you Kagome?" Ayumi asked

"How's that arthritis in your leg?" Yuka asked

"And what about that swollen ankle? Has it healed yet?" Edi also asked

"Yeah I'm fine" _'Damn it Gramps' _Kagome cursed to herself "I need to tell you guys something though" They nodded as they all retook their seats, Kagome joined them and took a deep breath "Today will be my last day at school"

"WHAT?!" They gapped. Kagome winced when they screamed, she knew all the youkai in the house could hear them so it didn't help their sensitive hearing

"My illnesses are just getting too frequent, my mom is going to home-school me" There was a short silence when Edi spoke up

"Well Kagome, your health comes first" She smiled

"As long as we get to visit you" Ayumi winked

"But what about Hojo?" Yuka gasped "He's going to be so heartbroken, he is your boyfriend after all"

"Huh?" Kagome gapped "What made you think that? I'm not with Hojo"

"You're not?" Edi went eye wide "But he's telling everyone that you are"

"And that he's taken your virginity" Yuka added

"And he comes to see you everyday at the hospital"

"Wait until I get my hands on his throat" Kagome screamed really not caring about anyone's sensitive ears at the moment "I'll kill him"

"I'll beat ya to it" Inuyasha growled as he walked in, his doggy ears showing

"Inuyasha!" Kagome gapped "W-what are you doing?"

"Keh I ain't having no asshole spreading rumours about my sister"

"He's got ears?" Ayumi exclaimed

"Sister?" Edi tilted her head in confusion

"Hey aren't you Kagome's delinquent boyfriend?" Yuka asked

"Inuyasha you're so dead too" Kagome smacked his arm "You know you're not supposed to show yourself without a god damn hat! SIT!!!" He smashed to the floor. Sesshoumaru was walking downstairs when he heard Kagome's shouting, he stood by the doorway but didn't enter as Kagome's friends were there

"Is everything alright Kagome?" Kagome looked up at him and huffed

"No Sesshoumaru it's not! Your stupid brother has just gone and blown our secret. He's come in here and showed off his damned ears" The girls stared at Inuyasha in shock and then at Sesshoumaru's name. It all sounded like something they heard during history

"Kagome what's wrong?" Sango walked in wearing Kagome's borrowed pyjamas so she looked normal. She saw Kagome's friends and then Inuyasha on the floor "Argh Inuyasha you idiot" The hanyou pulled himself up off the floor and rubbed his cheek

"Well sorry but I couldn't help it, some ass in Kagome's school has been spreading rumours about..." Kagome smacked her hand over his mouth to shut him up, Sesshoumaru would go on a killing spree if he found out

"Shut up" She hissed "Sango could you?"

"Yeah" She grabbed Inuyasha's arm and dragged him from the room

"Sessh, I'll see you in the living room in a minute" He nodded and walked away. Kagome then sat opposite her friends and let out a frustrated sigh "I bet this is all too weird for you guys"

"A little"

"You're not gonna believe me if I tell you the whole story"

"Kagome we've just seen your so-called-boyfriend come in here with dog ears on his head and then you go and speak to some guy called Sesshoumaru. Only one person has been called by that and I'm pretty sure he's dead" Yuka stated "Tell us" Sighing Kagome told them everything from the first day she fell down the well all the way through to Kagome almost losing Sesshoumaru through Naraku and how they are here

"...and so that's the real reason why I'm being pulled from school" They just gapped at her "See I knew you wouldn't believe me, you most probably think I'm some crazy person who should go to the crazy house" She rubbed her temple and groaned

"That's awesome" Ayumi beamed

"And so you're pregnant?" Yuka asked with joy apparent in her voice

"And you're seeing this Prince Sesshoumaru? The one from our history books?" Edi gasped "You're so lucky Kagome"

"You actually believe me?"

"Well it does explain why you're hardly in school, your mom makes up excuses when we visit here, the hospital have never heard of you, your uniform always has blood strains on them and you always ace history even though you're not in school during the whole course"

"I'm sorry but this is so weird" Kagome explained "I didn't think anyone would believe such a story, it just shows how awesome you guys are" She then dived onto her friends and hugged them all

"Can we meet your boyfriend?"

"Please?" Kagome smiled awkwardly and scratched the back of her head

"Well perhaps after school" She replied "We really should be going now" The girls sighed but agreed. They all then stood and left the sitting room "Mom I'm going now" Sakura came out and handed Kagome some toast

"Not without something to eat you're not" She smiled "Wait for me after school, I'll be coming up your school for the home schooling"

"The girls know everything mom" Kagome laughed "Inuyasha burst in earlier when he overheard a conversation involving Hojo"

"Hojo?" Sesshoumaru questioned as he left the living room. The girls gawked at him immediately, they thought he was absolutely stunning, Sesshoumaru ignored their drooling faces and focused his attention on Kagome "Why were you talking about him?"

"It's nothing" Kagome reassured "He's just been spreading some rumours in school"

"Such as?"

"Hey, look at the time. I guess it's time to go" Kagome ushered her friends to the door but before she got to the door Sesshoumaru caught her arm and pulled her back

"Explain"

"Fine" She huffed "Hojo apparently has been spreading rumours that I'm his girlfriend and that he's taken my virginity" She saw Sesshoumaru's eyes flash red for a brief second and groaned, great he was pissed "I'm gonna sort it out today, you can't do anything you'll be seen"

"And?" He growled "He does not disrespect you so, you are my mate and not his. I don't want you going anywhere near him"

"Sessh, he's in all my classes I can't help that" She then leaned up and kissed his lips "I've got to go now, I'll be home around 3pm"

"I don't like you going out there without me, this human could be dangerous to you. What if tries to touch you?"

"He won't" Kagome reassured "He's not gonna try anything with the teachers around"

"And what about during your journeys to your school and here?"

"I'll be with my friends all day, they'll be coming back here after" She then lowered her voice "They want to meet you so be nice"

"Fine" He growled

"I'll be with Kagome after school Sesshoumaru" Sakura smiled "I don't particularly like that Hojo boy so he won't near her with me around" She then turned to Kagome "Now off to school or you'll be late"

"What about Souta?"

"It's staff training day for his school, I forgot until this morning. Don't forget it's Friday today so it is your turn to make something nice for dinner"

"I know" She smiled "See you both later" She then gave Sesshoumaru one last kiss and followed her friends out the door. They all descended the shrine steps and made their way to school

"Wow Kagome, your boyfriend is so hot"

"Talk about Prince Charming"

"You're so lucky"

"Thanks guys" Kagome giggled "He's really pissed right now though, he really wants to kill Hojo"

"Can't say I blame him" Yuka shrugged

"Awe but it's so romantic" Edi giggled "I wish I could have someone that protective"

"Well let's just be grateful that it isn't sports today" Ayumi sighed "I don't think a ball to the stomach in your condition would be very good"

"I guess that's one upside" Kagome mused "When I do come home every so often I will call you guys to come on over but you guys gotta promise me that you'll tell no one of all this"

"We promise" They replied

"Good" Within another 10 minutes the girls arrived at school and went straight to their registration class. They all gathered around Kagome's desk and continued their gossiping

"Oh yeah Kagome we forget to tell you" Ayumi beamed "The school dance is Monday and everyone is going, why don't you stay a little longer and come?"

"I can't" She sighed "My life isn't here any more. And I doubt Sesshoumaru would go to a school dance with me and what would I say about his appearance?"

"Well it is a fancy dress dance" Yuka smirked

"No way" Kagome said straight out "Sesshoumaru would kill Hojo just for saying hi"

"You got a point there" Just then Hojo entered the classroom and grinned when he saw Kagome, he made his way straight to her and placed his hand on her shoulder

"Hey Kagome, how's your back?"

"It's fine" She then stood and folded her arms "Who do you think you are spreading rumours that we're a couple and that you took my virginity?" Everyone in the class stopped what they were doing and watched the couple

"W-what? Well we are a couple"

"Who says?" She snapped "I never agreed to be your girlfriend, I haven't even been here for you to ask me out!"

"Well we have been on a date so that means that we're a couple" Hojo huffed

"No it doesn't, what planet are you from? Look I already have a boyfriend and it's not you" She then retook her seat "How dare you spread such rumours"

"Who's this boyfriend of yours then? Bring him on"

"Hojo get a grip" Yuka stepped in "You couldn't lay a finger on her boyfriend"

"We met him this morning, he could easily drop you" Ayumi added

"Guys" Kagome hissed

"How can you find a boyfriend when you're always ill?" Hojo asked

"He's...my doctor's son, he helps out at the hospital so that's how we met"

"How old is he?"

"Seventeen, what's it to ya?" They were about to break into another argument when the teacher entered

"Ms Higurashi it is good to see you back, how are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling better, thank you Sensei" The teacher smiled and took her seat "Hojo please take your seat so that we can get on with class" Hojo nodded and reluctantly took his seat, Kagome let out a relieved sigh and began the day's classwork...

The day had dragged painfully. Kagome had been harassed by Hojo all day and it was killing her, it didn't help that she was missing Sesshoumaru. She hadn't gone so long without seeing him before, sure school was only 8 hours long but it still killed her. She kept feeling nauseous too but that was most probably due to the fact that she was carrying a demon baby. When the last bell rang to go home Kagome let out a most relieved sigh as she and her friends packed up their stuff and left for Kagome's home. As they walked through the yard to the school's exit Hojo ran out in front of them "Kagome please, I'm sure I'm better for you than this boyfriend of yours"

"I don't think so Hojo" Kagome huffed "I'm in love with him, you can't beat that"

"Well..." He was cut off by a girl roughly around their age running towards them

"Kagome" It was Sango. She was wearing one of Kagome's blue mini skirts with a matching jacket and a white strapped top "Your mom is still talking with your teacher, she told me to wait for you here"

"Hey Sango" Kagome hugged her sister "The boys haven't trashed the house, have they?"

"Well Yash almost did but Sessh took him outside and sorted him out" She shrugged "And I helped"

"Has Sessh missed me?" She knew Sango had just shortened their names to sound fairly normal, and Kagome could just cast them off as nicknames in front of Hojo

"Yeah, after we beat up Yash we went for a walk around the shrine. It was weird" She laughed. Hojo then cleared his throat so that all eyes were on him

"Oh, Sango this is Hojo. He goes here too"

"Nice to meet you" Hojo tried to charm her "I must say you're very pretty, are you and Kagome related?"

"Yes we are" Sango frowned, Inuyasha had told her and Sesshoumaru the full story about him this morning "I'm Kagome's sister-in-law and you're the guy who was spreading rumours of her sleeping with you"

"Well...uh..."

"Look just back off from her alright, she has a guy already"

"Yeah well when I see him I'll show him" Hojo huffed "Kagome I want you, this boyfriend is no good for you. Let me meet him and I'll knock him out"

"Ha" Sango laughed "Sessh could knock you down any day, he has quite the reputation back home"

"Back home? Where are you originally from?"

"None of your business" Sango then raised her fist "Now do you want me to give you a piece of my mind or will you leave Kagome alone?"

"You're a girl and I'm a guy, I think we know who will win here" Kagome had never seen this side of Hojo before. He was usually the soft charming quiet boy who everyone loved, he must have fallen in with the wrong crowd during her absence. Now he was just a complete and utter jerk and what worried her the most was that Sango couldn't stick anyone like that

"Oh there's mom" Kagome motioned to the front gate trying to distract Sango from killing Hojo, unfortunately it didn't work though

"You are one arrogant, stupid and sexist jerk!" Sango then punched him right in the face causing him to hit the ground with a cry "I'm not usually one for violence but when it comes to my family I'll do anything to look after them" She then linked Kagome's arm "Come on Kagome let's leave this little pathetic boy to wallow in his own self pity" Kagome, Sango and the girls then made their way over to Sakura who watched on with a very concerned look on her face

"What just happened?"

"Sorry Mrs Higurashi but I can't stand jerks" Sango replied "He had it coming"

"Don't worry about it love, just don't do it again out in the open" Sakura smiled and turned to Kagome "I've been given the permission to home-school you, this was officially your last day here. Now let's go home and do some baby planning"

"Alright" Kagome grinned "Do you mind if Yuka, Edi and Ayumi come? They really want to meet Sesshoumaru"

"Of course not honey" They all then made their way back to the Higurashi shrine where all the men and Jen waited impatiently for their return

Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha were in Kagome's house in Souta's room for some strange reason, the boy had dragged Inuyasha to come upstairs and play with him on the Wii. Sesshoumaru didn't know what is was so he decided to follow them and see for himself, Souta didn't mind, the more the merrier. The young Prince couldn't help but laugh when the boy kept beating Inuyasha on all the games causing the hanyou to scream and rant, even though Inuyasha's screams where annoying they weren't as bad as his parents who had broke out into an argument earlier over something to do with Kagome's new diet and were now in the living room sulking after he and Inuyasha practically screamed at them. He also didn't appreciate the face that he was stuck on babysitting duty, Kagome's grandfather had gone out to some chess club thing earlier and Sakura had to go pick up Kagome so she had left them in charge of Souta.

Inuyasha was also in a mood with Sesshoumaru so that didn't really help things, the young Prince had told Sango to go with Sakura as he could trust her to defend Kagome against any dangers. He didn't really like sending a human female to do what should be his job but he couldn't go out in Kagome's time due to the way he looked and the intoxicating scent of the place. Sango looked like any normal human no matter what time period she was in and when she threw on some of Kagome's clothes she looked almost local. Inuyasha loved the short attire but when he found out she'd be going out in it he flipped, though he lost the battle when the demon slayer told him to get a grip and left without another word.

Sesshoumaru had to admit but he was very impatient and worried at the moment, he hadn't been without Kagome for so long and it was terrible. He didn't mind the fact that she'd gone and left him alone for a while it was just that he didn't know this time period and the dangers of it so it just unnerved him. He was also rather annoyed, Kagome was bringing her friends back with her after school so he knew he'd have to be all nice to them if he wanted his mate to speak to him ever again. Why did she want him to meet all these new people? The only person he really wanted to meet at this moment was Hojo and that was only because he wanted to lop his damned head off. He was dragged from his thoughts when he heard Souta give another cheer signalling that he'd won once again, he smiled at this. The boy was like his sister in many ways, they were both overly emotional, they both enjoyed beating Inuyasha in some way and they both had that cuteness and likeability about them.

Inuyasha grumbled and shut off the game, now he had officially had enough. He had lost to a damned kid with Sesshoumaru in the room, he knew the young Prince was not going to let him forget about it. He took a seat next to his big brother whilst Souta began to gaze out his window. The young boy squinted his eyes as he looked to the shrine steps and immediately beamed when he saw his mother with Kagome and the girls "Kagome's home" He grinned as he shot out of the room

"I've never seen a someone so enthusiastic of seeing their sibling before" Sesshoumaru remarked as he and Inuyasha followed Souta downstairs and to the front door

"I know, could you imagine me acting like that with you?" Inuyasha laughed "Hey where's Jen and dad?"

"Last I saw they were sulking in the living room"

"Kagome!" The front door opened and in walked Sakura, Sango, Kagome and her friends "I beat Inuyasha 10 times on the Wii"

"Did he cry like a big baby?" Souta nodded "Good"

"Keh I didn't" Inuyasha snorted as he pulled Sango to him "Ya bro just got lucky"

"You say that every time" Kagome laughed as she walked over to her mate "You miss me?"

"Yes" He then slithered his arms around her waist and met his lips in a passionate kiss. All the girls awed whilst the boys ewed

"Get a room" Souta gagged "It's worse than watching Sango and Inuyasha doing it"

"How is it?" Kagome smirked as she broke lip contact with Sesshoumaru

"Because you're my sister" He groaned "Eww" He shuddered "I'm going upstairs" Kagome laughed and lay her head on Sesshoumaru's chest

"Was there any problems?" The young Prince asked

"Don't worry I sorted them" Sango mused "I punched that Hojo boy"

"Gee Sango what'd the poor guy do to you?" Inuyasha laughed

"He was being a sexist jerk" She huffed "And apparently he could take you on Sesshoumaru, he reckons he'd be better for Kagome"

"And I said that's impossible because I'm in love with you" Kagome grinned as she leaned up and pecked Sesshoumaru's lips. Sakura rolled her eyes and grabbed her car keys

"Kagome I'm off to pick up your grandfather, be good and start preparing something nice for dinner"

"Okay" She waved her mother off "Right now for introductions" She then pulled her friends a little closer "Sessh this is Yuka, Edi and Ayumi, they're my best friends since we were little" She then turned to her friends "Guys this is Prince Sesshoumaru Taisho, he's my lover as you already know and is from the feudal era"

"A pleasure" Sesshoumaru nodded his head

"We've heard so much about you Prince Sesshoumaru" Yuka and Ayumi bowed

"Kagome hasn't stopped talking about you today" Edi grinned

"Well I don't brag much but I couldn't resist today" Kagome beamed "You've already met Inuyasha and you got to know Sango on the way home. Sesshoumaru's parents are..." She began to gaze around the place "Hey where are your parents?"

"Hopefully far away" Inuyasha sighed

"They were arguing again" Sesshoumaru added

"Oh" Kagome then rolled her eyes "Well guys give us a hug 'cause I'll most probably be either leaving tomorrow or the day after" She hugged her friends and walked them to the door "I would have you stay longer but you know what mom's like, on a Friday I've got to do all the cooking" She sighed "And you think she'd cut me some slack with me being pregnant and all"

"I know, poor you" Edi laughed as she hugged her friend "If we don't see you until the baby is born will you send us a picture?"

"Sure" Kagome smiled

"Bye Kagome" Yuka waved

"Good luck" Ayumi added

"Bye guys, hope to see you again soon" Kagome waved as they all descended the shrine steps "Ugh now for dinner" She groaned as she closed the door and made her way to the kitchen

"I'll help you Kagome" Sango called as she followed her friend into the kitchen. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru were about to join their mates when they heard Jen and Inutaisho screaming at each other again

"I wish they'd get a grip" Sesshoumaru growled

"That's it, I'm putting an end to this once and for all" Inuyasha then reached into the kitchen and pulled one of the saucepans of the counter, he then headed to the scene of the crime...

**Well what do you think?**

**I know it isn't the best chapter lol**

**Hope you enjoyed it**

**Reviews please :)**

**Inuyashasesshy4eva**

**xXx**


	20. Families

Chapter Twenty – Families

Inuyasha stormed into the living room to see Jen and Inutaisho at it again, he lifted the saucepan and jumped in front of them "Right I have a...thing, and I'm not afraid to use it!" Jen and Inutaisho stopped their ranting and looked at the hanyou

"Inuyasha put that down before you hurt somebody, you don't know its powers" Inutaisho raised his hands defensively. Jen rolled her eyes obviously knowing what it was since she and Sakura were cooking in the kitchen earlier "We don't want anyone getting hurt"

"Ne Sango where's my saucepan?" Kagome was heard from the kitchen. She then stormed into the living room and snatched it out of Inuyasha's grip "Geez Yash, how can I make anything with you hogging the saucepan? Do you want dinner or what?" She then whacked him on the head with it and headed back to the kitchen. Sesshoumaru then entered the living room and sighed

"What were you two arguing over this time?"

"Well your mother believes that she can fight better than I, it is impossible" Inutaisho snorted

"Get a grip Inutaisho, I never said that! I said that when it came to sorcery I could better you" Jen huffed

"No you didn't!"

"Yes I did!"

"No..." He was cut off by Sesshoumaru

"Silence!" He growled "Both of you made a promise to both Kagome and I that you wouldn't fight. If you're continue to act like this then you're both better off back at the palace where we don't have to see or hear you" He then turned and left the living room without another word

"You guys deserve parent of the year alright" Inuyasha rolled his eyes "Get a grip like" He then flopped out on the couch, picked up the remote and flicked through the channels. Jen and Inutaisho childishly turned their heads from each other and sat down "Ya lucky Kagome took that saucepan thingy off me otherwise you'd be six feet under"

Sesshoumaru entered the kitchen as the most delicious aroma hit his nose, man he didn't realize his mate could actually cook proper food. Sure she could cook fish and ramen but let's face it, who couldn't. He smirked at her wearing an apron as she and Sango rushed around the kitchen cooking too many things at once "Kagome do you need help?" He offered as he neared her

"No thanks Sessh" She replied as she finished making the last of the rice balls "But thanks for offering" She then moved to stove and stirred the noodles

"What exactly are you cooking?" He asked as he looked over her shoulder at the numerous things cooking

"Just a bit of everything" She winked "I made some curry, rice, rice balls, noodles, salad, fries, pork, chicken, lamb and some stir fry" She shrugged "I pretty much cooked everything we've got, I've even made some dessert" She grinned up at him

"Oh really?" He smiled as he kissed her neck "And what's that?"

"Toffee cheesecake, you'll love it" He looked at her confused "Don't worry it tastes better than it sounds...I hope" She laughed "If you think my cooking is nice perhaps I can do some cooking when we go home?"

"Only if you really desire to" He replied "I don't want you working with this" He rubbed her stomach "Then again I don't want you working at all"

"How will I keep active?" He whispered one word

"Bedroom" His voice was husky causing shivers down her spine

"If I burn anything you'll pay for it" She leaned up and kissed him "Did I hear your parents bickering just now? And why did Inuyasha have the saucepan?"

"Yes, they were arguing over power so Inuyasha was going to hit them with it" Kagome then burst out laughing "It's not funny" He groaned as he buried his head into the crook on her neck "They're draining"

"Do you want me to purify them for you?" She asked half-heartedly

"Please do" He mumbled against her. Kagome then finished cooking up the noodles and tipped them into a large bowl

"Sango could you start serving out the bowls and chopsticks for me? The bowls are in the cupboard above you and the chopsticks in the draw in front of you"

"Sure thing Kagome" Sango smiled "Do you want me to make up some tea?"

"If you could" Kagome smiled back as she finished off cooking everything "Sessh do you want to go sit down at the table?"

"Shall I get everyone in here for you instead?"

"Yeah that sounds better" Kagome smiled up at him "Thank you"

"No problem" He then pecked her lips and went to get everyone. Kagome then began to put the food out on the table, they were all in separate bowls so everyone could help themselves. As she was doing this Sango was pouring tea into separate cups when Inuyasha stormed in

"What's wrong Yash?" Sango asked as she continued with her job

"Jen and my old man, that's what" He huffed "They're now bickering over names for Kagome's kid, it's not even their decision" He sat down in one of the chairs and folded his arms "Sessh is gonna kill 'em soon"

"Or I will" Kagome muttered as she went to get the last of the food which was a plate of sliced up chicken that had been in the oven. She picked it up and screamed as the plate burned her, she then slipped on something on the floor and started falling back sending the plate up in the air. Before her behind could grace the floor Sesshoumaru came out of nowhere and caught her along with the chicken on the plate

"Are you alright?" He pulled her up and placed the plate down on the dining table

"I am now thank to you" She hugged him. As she did so Jen, Inutaisho, Souta and Sakura and Gramps who had literally just arrived home walked into the kitchen

"What happened?" Sakura asked

"Oh I slipped with the chicken and Sesshoumaru caught me and the food before I hit the ground" Kagome replied with a small grin "Can't fault him" She winked. Sesshoumaru then released her and everyone took their seats

"Oh Kagome this all looks wonderful" Sakura beamed "You're certainly my daughter" She joked

"And proud" Kagome grinned as she picked up her bowl and indulged in the meal "Help yourself guys before I eat it all"

"She will as well" Souta laughed "Ne Kagome won't you eat even more now that you're pregnant?"

"Most probably" She shrugged and turned to Sesshoumaru "I hope you approve of love handles" She laughed when he winked

"Kagome I must say this is the best meal you've ever prepared" Gramps complimented as he ate to his heart's content. Kagome grinned and took some noodles for herself. Sesshoumaru pretty much tried everything, Kagome saw this and her grin widened. He wasn't one for human food so he must have liked it if he kept having more. Inuyasha was eating everything as usual, and not with the best table manners either. Sango strayed away from the spicy things but enjoyed everything else. Jen and Inutaisho tried everything, complimented everything and thanked her for a most delicious meal. Kagome beamed and thanked them.

Once everyone had finished dinner Sango and Sakura quickly threw everything in the dishwasher whilst Kagome got out the cheesecake and cut it up. She then put the slices on separate plates and handed them out to everyone. Everyone thanked her and indulged themselves. Kagome took her place next to Sesshoumaru and began to eat her own "Do you like it?" She whispered to her mate who only nodded, he was too caught up in the cake. Kagome stifled a giggle and continued with her own...

Soon everyone was finished and all the girls cleaned up, even Jen. Kagome was wiping the table over when the sudden urge to throw up took over her, knowing she wouldn't make it to the bathroom fast enough. She immediately went to the bin and threw up "Kagome?" Sakura, Jen and Sango were at her side straight away. They rubbed her back soothingly as she relieved herself "It's okay sweetie" Sakura cooed. Sango pulled Kagome's hair back as Kagome panted trying to regain her breath, Jen got Kagome a glass of water where the little miko then washed her mouth out and soothed her burning throat

"Ugh why the hell did that happen?" She groaned as she rubbed her throat "I feel icky, sore and tired now"

"Why don't you go for a nice long bath? Then you and Sesshoumaru can cuddle up and watch a film" Sakura offered "You can even lock your door tonight, I trust Sesshoumaru not to hurt you"

"Your mother's right Kagome" Jen smiled "A nice bath will do you good"

"Yeah...plus you got some vomit in your hair" Sango mused

"Eww" Kagome shuddered

"You'll have to get used to that" Jen laughed "Sickness comes with the package of being pregnant"

"Don't remind me" She huffed "Are you sure you guys don't need me"

"Don't be silly" Sango waved off

"You did all the cooking love" Sakura smiled "Go on, go get Sesshoumaru and go upstairs" She hugged her daughter and kissed her forehead "Goodnight"

"'night" Kagome then tripped into the living room where the boys were watching TV. On the looks of it they were watching 'Pirates of the Caribbean'. She turned her gaze to Sesshoumaru and called to him "Sesshoumaru" He looked up at her and frowned at her slight paleness

"Kagome?" He stood and walked over to her "What's wrong?"

"I was just sick" She smiled tiredly

"Sick? Why would you be sick?"

"Calm down pup" Inutaisho mused from his seat as he looked up at his son's overly worried face "Sickness is common in pregnancy"

"Thanks for the explaining Inutaisho" Kagome winked and turned back to Sesshoumaru "Will you come upstairs with me for the rest of night? If you want to stay down here I understand"

"I'm not going to leave you on your own" He wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her forehead "Come along" The young couple then went upstairs and into Kagome's room. Upon entering Kagome closed the bedroom door and locked it "You look stressed mate"

"I am" She stretched "I'm gonna start a bath, put the TV on if you like" He nodded and watched her retreat to the bathroom. He then moved over to the windowsill and gazed out over the town as he watched the sunset, he heard the bath water in the bathroom and the footsteps of his mate as she made her way back into the bedroom "Well at least I don't feel sick any more but I still feel icky"

"I'm sure you'll feel more refreshed after your bath" He moved from the windowsill and turned to look at her "Are you still feeling sore from last night?"

"A little" She shrugged "Why? Fancy another round?" She grinned causing him to smirk

"I don't believe it would be wise, you should heal up completely before we play again" Kagome then caught her mate's hands as she leaned in to kiss his neck

"But I want to play now" She pouted

"I can tell" He mused as he pulled her back to look into her lust filled eyes "If you're good perhaps we may play later"

"Well we better" She poked her tongue out "We've got to make the most of it before I go fat"

"I doubt that will stop us" He replied as he leaned in and ran his tongue up her ear causing her to shudder "In any shape or form I'd have you" He growled huskily into her ear

"At any place and time?" She asked as she ran her hand down his chest until she reached his member. She brushed her fingers over his now clothed erection causing a shaky breath to leave him

"Most definitely"

"Then in that case" She kept firm grip of his hand and began to pull him forward "Follow me" Not needing to be told twice Sesshoumaru willingly followed his beautiful mate into the bathroom and to the bath. Kagome then released him as she leaned over the bath and turned the tap off, Sesshoumaru couldn't complain for the view of her bent over form. He growled approvingly and brushed his claws up her thigh and to her behind. Kagome arched her back when she felt his hand slither around to her front and begin to rub her womanhood "Sessh..." She gasped as she began to move with his fingers. Her arousal immediately hit his nose as Kagome's hands pressed against the tiled wall for support

"It is a good thing you locked the bedroom door my little miko" He pressed a little harder emitting a moan from her "We wouldn't want to be disturbed now, would we?"

"No..." Taking every amount of strength she could muster Kagome reached down and pulled his hand away. She then pushed herself back up to stand and began to strip off, slowly. She gently pressed back against Sesshoumaru as she pulled her top off and smirked when she heard a soft moan escape his lips. She threw it to the floor and did the same with her skirt and socks. Now she was only in her underwear. Sesshoumaru's hands reached out and began to trail down her sun-kissed waist and hips. Grinning to herself Kagome let her underwear fall to the floor and stepped out of them, she then innocently tilted her head so that she could see Sesshoumaru and smiled "Sesshoumaru would you unclasp my bra?"

"Of course" He leaned forward and trailed kisses down her neck whilst his hands moved back up her body and to her bra. With a few tries Sesshoumaru unclipped the bra and pulled it from her body "Beautiful" He murmured against her neck as he ghosted his hands from her shoulders and down her arms

"Hmm" Reluctantly Kagome pulled away from him and stepped into the nice hot bath, she let out a small moan and turned to him. She then reached forward and pulled the ties of his haori resulting in his haori to part to reveal his well toned chest, she then leaned forward and began to kiss down the exposed skin. Sesshoumaru let his eyes slide closed as his head went back, gods this was great. He heard the splashing of water as Kagome got onto her knees and let out an inaudible gasp when he felt Kagome's tongue run along the line of his hakama

"Kagome..." He purred as he ran his claws through her hair. Kagome smirked as she pulled away and pulled at the ties of his hakama, she immediately pulled both his underwear and hakama down and waited as he stepped out of them. She blew the tip of his exposed member and giggled when he shuddered

"You look delicious Sessh" She grinned when he opened his eyes and met her gaze. Sesshoumaru smirked and let out another shaky breath

"Then why not have a taste?"

"Well since you're offering" She then leaned forward and took him fully in her mouth. Sesshoumaru let out a groan as he watched her pump him, she had such an amazing mouth even though she wasn't that experienced. She moaned against him sending vibrations right the way through him

"Uh..." His head fell back once again as he tangled his claws in her ebony locks "...hn" It took all he could not to thrust into her "...Kag..." He felt her speed increase making him near his climax even faster than usual. He'd never been so responsive in his life and he absolutely loved it. He was about to climax when Kagome pulled back. His eyes snapped open as he looked down at her. She was smirking up at him as she leaned back in the bath running a wet sponge over her breasts "...you...stopped because...?"

"I want you to release in me" The lust in her eyes and the huskiness of her voice made him growl as he stepped in the bath with her

"I hate to disappoint you Kagome but we both won't fit in here" He smirked. Kagome didn't say anything, she just stood and stepped back slightly

"We will. You just need to lie down" Sesshoumaru eyed her for a moment but complied. He slowly lowered himself down into the bath and stretched out

"And what now?" Kagome extended her hands to him which he took as he helped her down onto his member. He slid into her and hissed at the pleasurable friction, the water raised slightly so that it covered his hips "You really want to play tonight, don't you Kagome?"

"Yes" She then leaned forward and captured his lips. Sesshoumaru thrust his hips up causing Kagome to moan into the kiss. "Sessh..." She hissed as she sat back up "What do you want your highness?"

"I want you to ride me" He ground himself against her and grasped her waist to give her some support

"Of...course" She then began to move up and down "Yes..." She flung her head back and pressed her hands down against his chest

"...hn..." Sesshoumaru moved with her as their moans and groans echoed throughout the bathroom

"Ah...hmm...eh..." Kagome let her moans spill from her mouth as she went faster and harder, she was so desperate to find release. Sesshoumaru was already close but that was only because Kagome hadn't finished him off earlier. Impatient Sesshoumaru began to lift Kagome's hips up and down at the same speed as she went, he wanted her to release before he did so badly "Sessh...ah" Something in her stomach knotted as she hit her climax and hit it hard "SESSHOUMARU" Her orgasm doubled when she felt her mate release into her. Sesshoumaru groaned out her name as she collapsed on top of him, they both panted heavily as they came down from their highs. Sesshoumaru brushed the bangs from Kagome's eyes and kissed her forehead

"You were...amazing" He breathed. Kagome slowly moved her head to meet his gaze

"Thanks" Sesshoumaru then leaned down and captured her lips in a tender and loving kiss "Shall we go watch a movie now?"

"If that is what you wish" The young couple then washed up and waddled out of the bath. They then wrapped up in their towels, gathered their clothes and retired back to Kagome's room where they then got dressed into their pyjamas.

Once they were fully refreshed Kagome stuck on a movie she knew would interest Sesshoumaru – 'X-Men' – and cuddled up to him in bed. Sesshoumaru wrapped his arms around her as he kept his gaze on the TV, the movie was definitely interesting. Sure their powers weren't that different from youkai of his time but these 'mutants' were human, it just baffled him. Kagome let a small smile grace her tired features as she watched her lover watch the TV in utter amazement, sighing contently she let her eyes slide closed as she fell into a deep slumber. She unconsciously snuggled closer to him causing Sesshoumaru's gaze to meet her slumbering form. He smiled softly as he brushed his fingers through her hair, she was so beautiful. Deciding to join her Sesshoumaru turned off the TV using the remote – that Kagome had taught him to do earlier – and shuffled down into the covers with her. He tightened his grip around her and kissed her bangs, he then closed his golden eyes and followed his mate into a peaceful and well deserved sleep...

The next morning the couple were rudely awoken by a modernly dressed Sango running into their bedroom squealing, Sesshoumaru immediately growled and sat up "Explain why you have barged in here Sango!"

"I'm here to see Kagome, not you" She poked her tongue out at him, not particularly caring at that moment that he was the youkai Prince. Kagome let out a tried yawn as she pulled herself up into a sitting position and leaned against her mate "Kagome your mom wants to take us into your village" She beamed

"What for?" She stretched

"Shopping for the baby" Immediately Kagome was awake as a massive Cheshire cat grin plastered her face. She then practically dived out of bed and threw open her wardrobe. She began throwing out numerous clothes to wear until she found a simple blue sweater along with a pair of jeans

"I love shopping" She grinned as she pulled on her socks "And I'm gonna enjoy it even more now that I'm shopping for my baby"

"Kagome you don't need to get anything for our pup" Sesshoumaru stated "All that is needed is back at the palace"

"Well sorry" Kagome huffed as she roughly ran her hairbrush through her hair "But from where I'm from mother's like to buy things for their children"

"From what I have witnessed so do females in my era" Sesshoumaru replied as he slipped out of bed "I just don't want to see you spending your own money on our pup, when we return home you can spend my money instead"

"Sessh" Kagome sighed as she set her brush down and walked over to him "I mated you for you not your wealth"

"That I understand" He smirked "Though, I am the alpha so it is my duty to provide for you"

"I can see why you feel that way but you have to understand that our customs are different in that way, how about you let me spend my money here and if you feel you must I'll let you lend me yours back home"

"Agreed" He then leaned down and kissed her

"SANGO WHERE ARE YA?" Inuyasha was heard shouting from downstairs

"I better go see what's up" Sango rolled her eyes "Catch ya in a minute Kagome" Sango then ran off downstairs to see what her damned mate was up to. She found him in the living room with a massive scowl on his face "What's wrong Yash?" She asked as she took a seat beside him

"My damned old man that's what" He huffed "He and Jen were fighting again, but it was over us this time"

"Us?" Sango blinked "Why would they argue over us?"

"My dad keeps comparing us to Sesshoumaru and Kagome, he thinks those two are so perfect and so much better than us"

"Now you know how Kagome felt when you used to compare her to Kikyo" Sango replied "Where does Jen fit into all of this?"

"Jen screamed at him saying that Sesshoumaru and I are completely different and that we're both unique. She told him to stop comparing us all because he'll end up pushing us all away"

"She has got a point there"

"Yeah but I just hate them arguing, I know Sakura is getting really ticked and so is Kagome. I think if Kagome hears one more spat she'll purify them"

"Let's hope" Sango mused as she leaned over and kissed him "Kagome, Sakura and I are going shopping for the baby today"

"Feh, ya think I'm gonna let ya go on your own?" Inuyasha snorted as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders "I'll come with ya to make sure you're all safe. I can wear one of those stupid hats to look like a human"

"Too bad Sesshoumaru can't do that, I'm sure Kagome would love him to go with her"

"Yeah, if he didn't have those markings on his face he'd be alright" As he said this both Kagome and Sesshoumaru came downstairs and entered the living room "Ne Kags, I'll be coming with ya today"

"Inviting yourself like" Kagome mused "Yeah sure, but you're not coming with us dressed in your fire-rat kimono"

"Well I ain't got nothing else to wear"

"Don't worry, I'll help ya with that" She then grabbed the hanyou's wrist and dragged him to his feet

"I'm assuming you're going to dress him" Sesshoumaru raised a brow when Kagome nodded "I suggest you give him what he needs and leave him be, I don't want you literally dressing him"

"Calm down Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha's my brother now" She poked her tongue out "And I've seen him naked before anyway" Sesshoumaru then growled

"Kagome" He warned

"I'm only joking" She laughed "Come on Yasha" She then dragged him back upstairs without another word. Sesshoumaru let out an inaudible sigh and sat down beside Sango

"What was he ranting about earlier?" He asked in a bored tone

"Your parents were fighting again" Sango replied with a slight stretch "Apparently your father was comparing mine and Inuyasha's relationship to yours and Kagome's, and then your mother bit back saying that you and Yash were completely different people"

"Just their usual pointless banter then" Sesshoumaru sighed "Protect Kagome" He met her gaze "I won't be able to leave here looking like the youkai I am, you can protect Kagome in my place. Would you?"

"Of course I will" She winked "I refuse to allow anything befall my sister and my chance to be an aunty"

"Hn" Sesshoumaru smirked "Thank you" As he said this Sakura entered the living room looking rather annoyed

"Sango where's Kagome?"

"She's upstairs with Inuyasha, he's coming with us when we go shopping" The demon slayer explained

"Well she better hurry up" She then moved her gaze to Sesshoumaru's "I'm sorry for my disrespect but your parents are driving me insane. They keep dropping bitchy remarks to each other. It's down right rude and annoying"

"Be grateful you don't have to live with them" Sesshoumaru sighed as he stood "Where are they?"

"In the kitchen" She sighed

"I shall go see what they're bickering over" Sesshoumaru then left the living room and to the kitchen where he found his parents muttering threats to each other "What are you fighting over now? You've annoyed Kagome's mother and are bringing a terrible atmosphere to the house"

"Your ungrateful mother brought up the past again"

"How did I? Just because I said that Kagome has had a better upbringing than Sesshoumaru doesn't mean I was having a go at you" Jen huffed

"Can you both just stop fighting?!" Sesshoumaru growled as he resisted the urge to throttling his parents "At least shut up until we return to the palace, why can't you two just set aside your differences for a short time to support Kagome and I?"

"Pup I am supporting you" Inutaisho replied

"So am I" Jen added "Sesshoumaru. Your father and I will always be like this, I realize it's upsetting you and I apologize for that but you're just going to accept that your father and I just hate each other"

"That I accepted when you split apart" Sesshoumaru barked "What I will not accept is that you both promised Kagome and myself that you would not fight during our visit here"

"I'm trying" Inutaisho defended "But it isn't easy with your mother dropping such remarks during conversations"

"Oh here we go again, trying to start another argument" Jen huffed "You..." She was cut off by Kagome entering the kitchen

"Is everything alright?"

"No" Sesshoumaru growled as he turned and left the kitchen

"Sessh..." Kagome grabbed her purse from the counter and shook her head at her mother and father in-law "Why guys?" She then turned and walked into the hallway where Sesshoumaru was currently trying to contain his anger "Don't worry Sesshoumaru" She smiled as she made her way over to him "Tomorrow we'll return home and everything will be the way it used to be"

"That's the problem" Sesshoumaru replied with a growl "I cannot take their insane bickering much longer, when we return I shall demand for a separate palace to be built for us and our pup"

"You will stay in contact with your parents though...won't you?" Kagome took his hands

"Not unless they cease their continuous fighting. They..." He trailed off when he saw his brother walking down the stairs in a pair of jeans, a red figure hugging t-shirt which was mostly covered with a black jacket and was actually wearing some footwear

"Cleans up nicely, doesn't he" Kagome grinned as she grabbed a red baseball cap from the coat wrack and moved over to Inuyasha "That should do it" She threw the hat on his head "Perfect" She beamed "Sango your modernized hanyou is ready" Sango walked out into the hallway and gapped at her mate, he looked absolutely gorgeous

"Wow..." She placed her hands on his chest as she ran them over the fabric of his t-shirt "I could get used to seeing you in this"

"Ditto" Inuyasha replied as he slid his hands over her behind that was clothed under a pair of skinny jeans. Sakura walked into the hallway with her coat on and smirked at the couple

"Inuyasha you look rather dashing" She winked as she grabbed her car keys "Shall we take them in the car Kagome?"

"Yep" Kagome grinned. She then went back over to her mate and kissed him firmly on the lips "I'll be gone for a while, I wish I could take you with me"

"As do I" He mused as he caressed her cheek "But I do not believe the humans here will take to me"

"True" She giggled "What will you do for the rest of the day?"

"I shall go check on Rin and the kit. I'm assuming the wolf and his companions will be there as well now, we did just leave them at the palace without saying anything. Do not blame me if I kill him"

"Just knock him unconscious if you must" Kagome then pulled a necklace from her neck and gave it to her mate "This should help you pass back through the well with no problems, just keep it with you" Sesshoumaru nodded and slid the necklace into the folds of his haori "I'll see you later" She then gave him one last kiss and headed out the door

"Sesshoumaru honey could you please tell Souta to stay with his grandfather? I don't have the heart to go upstairs and wake him" Sakura asked

"I shall" Sakura smiled and left the house with Sango and Inuyasha following. The hanyou gave Sesshoumaru a snicker before he left

"See ya later _honey_" He then ran out the door before Sesshoumaru could throttle him. Everyone then climbed into the car, Kagome and Sakura in the front with Inuyasha and Sango in the back. The young couple clipped in the seatbelts just as Kagome instructed and curiously gazed around the inside of the car

"Let's go shopping" Sakura beamed as she turned on the ignition and reversed out of the driveway and into Tokyo...

Sesshoumaru had waited for what must have been an hour before Souta made his appearance. The kid wandered into the living room with his pyjamas on as he rubbed last night's sleep from his eyes. The young Prince was the only one in the living room so Souta made his way over to him and yawned "Prince Sesshoumaru where is everyone?"

"Your grandfather is in the shrine, my parents are bickering somewhere and everyone else has gone shopping" He replied "Your mother told me to inform you that you are to stay with you grandfather for the day" He then stood

"Oh, where are you going Prince Sesshoumaru?"

"I shall be returning to my era for a few hours and there is no need for you to address me with a title, I doubt Kagome would like you calling me by it now that we're family"

"Oh...okay. Does Kagome know you're going home?"

"Yes I told her earlier" He then headed to the hallway "If she forgets do remind her for me"

"Sure you can rely on me" Souta grinned. Sesshoumaru nodded and left for his time.

Back in the feudal era Miroku was keeping a watchful eye on Jaken and Kouga as they indulged in a game of poker whilst Kirara, AhUn, Ginta and Hakkaku watched over the children, the wolves had shown up late last night demanding to know where Kagome was. Miroku had explained everything though he could no explain why Sesshoumaru had led them all off without the wolves. Kouga was extremely angry at this, he didn't care if Sesshoumaru was a Prince he still didn't trust him to be worthy enough of _his _Kagome. The young leader managed to calm down some when Miroku said that Kagome would only be gone for two to three days and that he could hang around until they returned. Kouga obviously agreed to stay and decided to wait out the time by challenging the monk in the game called poker. Unfortunately for him though Miroku had given him his version of the rules so he and Jaken were losing badly "Ha! I win again" The lecher grinned as he pulled more valuables from the two

"Monk how is it that you are so good at this?" Jaken growled "I a great youkai cannot even win against you. Are you somehow cheating?"

"Cheating? Why Jaken there is no need to be such a sore loser, as Kagome says 'I won fair and square'"

"Well Kagome can teach us the rules of this game when she returns, then we can find out if you're truly cheating Miroku" Kouga huffed

"Sure..." Miroku then gulped, if Kouga asked Kagome the rules of the game then he would surely be busted. Then again he highly doubted that Sesshoumaru would allow the wolf near the girl anyway "Ask all you like" He grinned confidently

"Don't worry, I will" Kouga then slumped down under a tree and relaxed some "Will Kagome be back tomorrow?"

"Most probably" Miroku replied "She doesn't usually go longer than three days unless there's something wrong with her grandfather or school"

"I hope they come back soon" Rin pouted as she and Shippo made their way over to the group "I miss Prince Sesshoumaru and Kagome"

"I miss Kagome's and Sango's hugs so much" Shippo moaned

"Don't worry guys, they'll be home soon" Miroku reassured. Just as he said this Sesshoumaru jumped out of the well and landed in front of them

"Prince Sesshoumaru!" Rin beamed as she ran over to him "I've missed you" She tangled her little fingers in his hakama

"I trust you have behaved yourself Rin" Rin nodded and grinned a toothy grin "Good" He then gently pried the girl from his hakama and slowly ushered her back over to the group "Monk has everything been ok in my absence?" He asked purposely ignoring Kouga

"Yes Prince Sesshoumaru, there's been no attacks or any sign of Naraku. All is peaceful, I've taken extra care of the children too" Miroku replied

"I just came by to check up on things. We shall be returning here tomorrow morning"

"That's good to hear" The lecher smiled "The children are missing Kagome very much"

"That is something I assumed" He then turned to the children "Kagome sends her love to you, she misses you two very much"

"Is Kagome well?" Shippo asked

"Yes kit, why wouldn't she be?"

"I'm just worried that's all" He shrugged "Inuyasha told me about the big metal boxes and the nasty smells in Kagome's time, it sounds very dangerous"

"Inuyasha is overly dramatic, Kagome's time is far safer than our own" Sesshoumaru explained "The only problem she has there is an obsessed male who wants her"

"Did you tell him to leave her alone Prince Sesshoumaru?" Rin asked enthusiastically

"Kagome's time are not used to youkai so I have to stay within her home, Sango on the other hand almost knocked the boy unconscious"

"That sounds like Sango alright" Miroku chuckled "She's done that to me millions of times"

"Not for harassing my mate I hope"

"What? N-no of course not" He stuttered "For groping other women, well that was before she and Inuyasha..."

"Hn, if you didn't flirt with so many women perhaps Sango would be in your arms right now and not Inuyasha's"

"Yeah I know" He sighed "I have no one to blame but myself" He then shrugged "Well there's nothing I can do now but be happy for them, but is she alright?"

"She's fine, she's just gone shopping with Kagome and Inuyasha for the pup"

"Then we're doomed, they will come back with so much stuff"

"That's women for ya" Kouga spoke up "I still can't over that Kagome is pregnant"

"Well she is" Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes "What are you doing here anyway?"

"I'm apart of the group thanks to Kagome" Kouga snorted "Care to explain why you left me behind?"

"It is not my problem that you didn't wake up in time for our departure" The young Prince replied "I'm not going to wait around for you all day"

"You're just afraid that I'll hurt Kagome again, aren't you?" He growled

"I know that whatever chance you get you'll try to have her, I don't trust you at all. I would never leave her alone with you. Last time I wasn't around you tried to rape her"

"Hey! I was drunk it wasn't my fault"

"If you cannot control yourself then perhaps you shouldn't drink" Sesshoumaru then moved his gaze back to Miroku "I shall take my leave now, look after the children and make sure the wolf doesn't do anything to put them at risk"

"Yes Prince Sesshoumaru"

"Jaken" The imp bowed lowly "No one from the palace has come to you I'm assuming"

"No Prince Sesshoumaru, all is quiet" Sesshoumaru nodded and turned to make his leave when Rin stopped him

"Prince Sesshoumaru, do you promise to return with Kagome tomorrow?" Sesshoumaru turned slightly to meet her big brown orbs

"Yes Rin I promise" And with that Sesshoumaru made his way to the ancient well and jumped down it. Rin and Shippo ran over just in time to see him being absorbed into the blue light...

Back in the present time Kagome, Sakura, Sango and Inuyasha had just pulled up outside the shrine with all their belongings. Kagome jumped out of the car and opened the boot to reveal many packages and bags of things they had bought. Inuyasha groaned and went to the boot where he then began to unload it all "Where do you want it all Kagome?"

"In my room please" Inuyasha then let out another groan as he grabbed about eight packages and made his way into the house

"I'll give him a hand" Sango mused as she grabbed some more of the packages "Your mom has gone on inside to prepare lunch, don't go touching any of the packages. They're rather heavy and I don't want you to strain yourself"

"Gee you sound just like Sesshoumaru" Kagome rolled her eyes "Alright I won't touch anything, I'm just gonna stay out here for a bit. I feel a little sick and breathless"

"Will you be okay?" Sango asked concerned

"Of course" Kagome smiled reassuringly "Go on inside, I'll be in soon" Sango nodded and went on inside with the rest of the packages. Kagome moved to the boot and pulled out the last of the two bags and set them down on the floor, she then closed the boot and let out a sigh. Man, those bags were heavier than she thought. She rubbed her now aching back and groaned, she already had a small bump there making her feel fat and ugly. She noticed it this morning when she was getting Inuyasha something to wear, she didn't like it yet she knew she had to grin and bear it. Her stomach was going to get even bigger over the coming months and so were her hormones, that was the part she was dreading. She already knew that she'd end up taking her unnecessary anger out on Sesshoumaru and she didn't know how he was going to take it. Sighing heavily Kagome leaned back against the boot of the car and inhaled the cold air, she needed something refreshing in her system. Deciding she had been outside long enough without worrying about catching a cold she turned to go back inside when she heard someone calling her name

"Kagome" The little miko turned only to be face to face with Hojo

"Hojo? What are you doing here?" She frowned

"I wanted to apologize for everything I've done, I was a complete jerk and I deserved that beating I received from your sister"

"Yeah you did" Kagome huffed "What happened to you Hojo? What happened to the sweet and caring boy I used to know? All I see now is a jerk"

"I've just grown up Kags, look I really like you and I just want you to give me a chance"

"I'm sorry Hojo but it's too late, I'm happily in love with Sessh"

"You say that now but are you really? I know I could get you to love me more, I just need the opportunity"

"No, I'm sorry but no. Now please leave. I have to go to the hospital tomorrow for a check up and I need to pack"

"But Kagome" Hojo stepped forward

"No Hojo" Kagome began to rub her shoulders, was it suddenly getting colder? Sesshoumaru was just leaving the well house when he heard his mate. Hojo? Wasn't that the guy who had been harassing her the other day? Frowning Sesshoumaru moved to go over to her. Sango had seen what had been going on and was about to stop it when she saw Sesshoumaru. Immediately she ran over to him before he could reveal himself

"Sesshoumaru you can't go over to him dressed life that"

"Just watch me" He then pushed past her with a small growl and made his way over to his mate "Kagome" He called when he got closer. Kagome looked up at him relieved but also cursed when she saw his attire, how was she going to explain his appearance "Is everything alright?" He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek

"Yeah" She smiled softly "Uh Sessh, this is Hojo. Hojo, this is my boyfriend Sessh" Sesshoumaru went along with the shortening of his name, he guessed his real name wasn't common in her time

"Oh?" Hojo didn't know what to think "Uh what's up with the costume?"

"Costume?" Kagome pondered "Oh right, costume. Well Sessh and Sango are going to a fancy dress party, the theme is feudal. I wanted to go but I'm honestly not well enough" Sango overheard this and ran into the house to find her slayer's outfit

"And that's why I want you in the house" Sesshoumaru spoke up "Too much cold air is not good on your health"

"How old are ya _Sessh_? You're obviously not 15"

"No I'm 17" He lied "Your name sounds familiar, aren't you the idiot who spread nonsense that you took my Kagome's virginity?"

"Idiot? Hey, who the hell do you think you are?" Hojo raised his fist

"The actual person who took Kagome's virginity" Kagome blushed and resisted the urge to slap her mate for embarrassing her "Just leave her alone or I'll snap your god damned neck"

"Bring it on" Hojo then swung to hit Sesshoumaru but obviously missed. Sesshoumaru didn't even move from Kagome, instead he lifted his free hand and hit Hojo in the face as gently as he could. The boy flew to the floor gripping a now broken nose

"Stay away from Kagome" And with that Sesshoumaru turned and escorted Kagome back into the house. As he did this Sango ran out in her slayer's uniform and groaned when she looked down at a now crying Hojo

"Cry baby" She then picked up the bags Kagome had pulled out earlier and retreated back into the house. Once inside she caught sight of Kagome snuggling up into Sesshoumaru's hold, she smiled softly at this and carried the bags on up to Kagome's room.

"Are you alright?" Sesshoumaru asked as he rubbed her back "What was he doing here?"

"I'm fine besides the fact that I didn't appreciate the 'actual person who took Kagome's virginity' line" She pouted playfully "And he came by here to get me to go out with him" She rolled her eyes "He just wouldn't except that you're the only guy for me"

"Then he truly is an idiot" Sesshoumaru then leaned down and captured her lips "How was your day?"

"Awesome" She beamed and gripped his hand "You've gotta see all the things I've bought" She then dragged him upstairs and into her room where Sango and Inuyasha were currently watching TV "You're going to love what I got" Sesshoumaru mentally groaned as he sat down next to Inuyasha, as soon as he saw her pull out a bag full of baby clothes he knew instantly he wasn't going to enjoy her going through everything she'd bought...

**Well what ya think?**

**Sorry I haven't updated in so long **

**I've just gone back to school so updates won't be as fast as they used to be**

**Reviews Please :)**

**Inuyashasesshy4eva**


	21. Arrangements

Chapter Twenty One – Arrangements

Today was the day that Sesshoumaru, Kagome and everyone were to return to the feudal era. Everyone was enthusiastic about going and couldn't wait. Sakura had made up some lunch for them, Gramps was giving Inutaisho defective sutras, Souta dragged Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha up into his room for one more video game and Kagome, Sango and Jen were packing all the baby things into a suit case. "Awe this one's adorable" Jen awed as she lifted up a small cream baby-grow "I wish I had things like this when Sesshoumaru was little, he'd look so cute"

"Are we seriously going to build all these things?" Sango asked as she picked up thin boxes with pictures of high-chairs and prams

"Yep" Kagome grinned "And when you and Yasha have a baby you can use this stuff too" She then put the last of the baby stuff in the suit case and zipped it up "There all done" She then jumped to her feet and grabbed her yellow pack "We can put the lunch mom's made up in here for now. Everything else I need is in with the baby's things, I even packed the clothes Inuyasha wore yesterday" She laughed "I know how much you liked him in them Sango"

"Can you blame me?" She shrugged "I can never see anything when he's in his fire-rat kimono"

"You teenage girls and your obsession with males" Jen rolled her eyes "Believe me, you'll hate them one day"

"Awe Jen don't be like that" Kagome hugged her mother in-law "Are you saying Sesshoumaru and I won't stay together?"

"No, I know you two will be stuck and so will Sango and Inuyasha. I just meant males in general"

"Well after the baby's born perhaps we could all go out for the day and get you a new guy" The little miko winked

"Yeah, preferably tall dark and handsome" Sango added with a laugh

"Oh? Do you honestly believe Sesshoumaru will let me?" Jen laughed "The boy will kill any male who tries to lay a finger on me, plus I doubt he'll want a step-dad"

"You just leave Sesshoumaru to me, I can keep him at bay"

"I bet you can Kags" Sango mused "Come on then, we better go and say our goodbyes"

"Yeah you're right" Kagome then grabbed the handle of the suit case and began to pull at it

"Kagome what are you doing?" Jen tutted as she pulled the miko away from the case "You're pregnant, you can't afford to be lugging heavy things about"

"I know but I'm not useless"

"I know that love" She smiled softly as she grabbed the suitcase herself "Go get Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha whilst Sango and I carry this downstairs"

"How about I get Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha to carry this downstairs?" Kagome offered

"I like that idea better" Sango grinned "Come on Jen we'll help Sakura pack the lunch" She then grabbed Kagome's empty yellow pack, caught Jen's wrist and went on down to the kitchen. Kagome rolled her eyes and went off to Souta's room. When she entered she found Inuyasha and Souta fighting on the game again whilst Sesshoumaru just sat on Souta's bed and watched them

"Souta don't sit to close to the TV it's not healthy" Kagome sighed as she walked over to Sesshoumaru "Hey" She pecked his lips

"Have you finished packing?" He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her to sit in his lap

"Yep" She replied "I need to carry the suitcase downstairs for me, Sango and your mom won't let me lift it"

"Good" He smirked as he rubbed her back affectionately "You already have a bump coming so it would not be wise to life anything heavy"

"Whatever" She poked her tongue out and stood up "Will you carry the suitcase downstairs for me then?" Sesshoumaru nodded and stood "Come on Yash, we've got to go now"

"Fine" He huffed as he smacked the remote down "Didn't like the game anyway"

"How old are you again?" Kagome rolled her eyes "Souta come give me a hug now, it won't be so bad then with mom around"

"Sure" Souta then jumped to his feet and wrapped his arms around Kagome's waist "Ne Kagome, I can't get my arms all the way around you any more" He laughed

"Well try staying thin with a baby growing inside of you" She huffed as he released her "You can be such a jerk on times"

"I was only joking sis" Souta poked his tongue out at her "You're so moody"

"You're so annoying" She then sighed "Look after mom for me, will ya?"

"Of course, but when the baby's born ya gotta come home so I can see it"

"Sure thing" Kagome smiled as she took Sesshoumaru's hand "See ya in about nine months" She then led Sesshoumaru off to her room whilst Inuyasha went on downstairs to see his mate. Sesshoumaru grabbed the suitcase in Kagome's room and lifted it

"I'm glad they stopped you from carrying this, it's way too heavy for you" He then caught her hand with his free one and they headed downstairs "Why doesn't Souta come down to see you off?"

"He won't admit it but he gets overly emotional" Kagome smiled softly "We're really close so it's normal for him to act like that"

"You two are nothing like Inuyasha and I"

"Of course not" Kagome laughed "You don't see us trying to kill each other" The couple then went down into the hallway where everyone was saying their farewells. As soon as Sakura caught sight of her daughter she rushed over and hugged her tightly

"Kagome I'm going to miss you so much love" She kissed her numerous times as tears stained her cheeks "I want you to listen to Jen when it comes to the baby alright, she's going to take care of you since I can't"

"Oh mom" Kagome gave her mother a kiss on the cheek and pulled away "I'll be fine, and as soon as the baby's born I'll bring it home to show you" Gramps them went over to Sesshoumaru and eyed him carefully

"I am trusting you to protect my granddaughter Prince Sesshoumaru"

"You have my word" Sesshoumaru bowed his head in respect. Sakura then went over to him and hugged him causing him to stiffen. Inuyasha burst out laughing whilst Sango tried to shut him up

"I guess this makes you my son in-law" Sakura smiled as she pulled away but kept her hands on his arms "It was a pleasure meeting you love" She then leaned forward and kissed his cheek causing Inuyasha to laugh even more, Sesshoumaru somehow succeeded in hiding a blush as she moved away to hug Sango, Inutaisho and Jen. Kagome gave Sesshoumaru a small hug and grinned evilly

"Embarrassing?" He her a glare causing Kagome to giggle. Once Sakura had finished hugging Sango, Inutaisho and Jen she moved onto Inuyasha. By now he had stopped laughing but grunted in surprise when Sakura gave him a lung crackling hug

"You be a good boy now Inuyasha" She kissed his cheek continuously "I think of you as a son too so I want to have some grandchildren off you too"

"Okay okay, just stop with all the kissing" Sakura laughed and pulled away "Be safe"

"We will" Inutaisho then took the suitcase from Sesshoumaru whilst Jen took Kagome's famous yellow pack from Sakura "You have my word that I shall protect Kagome, even if it takes my life" He then turned to Kagome "Are you ready?"

"Yes" She beamed as she caught Sesshoumaru's hand "I'm ready when you are"

"Let us be off then" The group then left the house with one final farewell and headed to the well house. Once inside everyone paired up, well everyone besides Jen and Inutaisho

"You two are like a pair of big kids" Kagome rolled her eyes "You should be fine going through the well on your own since you're carrying things from my time, just don't start fighting when we reach the other side" Before they could protest Sesshoumaru gathered Kagome into his arms and jumped down the well. Inuyasha followed suit but shook his head at his father and stepmother before he dived into the well with his one true love. Inutaisho and Jen then looked from the well then to each other repeatedly. With one swift movement they both pushed and shoved at each other resulting in both of them falling down the well together.

Once back on the other side of the well Kagome was reunited with the children as they hugged the life out of her. Sesshoumaru watched on amused and with awe struck eyes, he just knew that his Kagome was going to be the perfect mother. Inuyasha and Sango had just jumped out of the well as they watched the interaction with Kagome and the children, Inuyasha noticed that gleam in Sesshoumaru's eyes causing him to smile softly. He was truly grateful that Kagome had melted Sesshoumaru's ice heart, he and his brother got on so much better and could finally act like the siblings they were. He just couldn't wait to see Sesshoumaru's face when the pup arrives, he just hoped the pup wouldn't be a girl. Inuyasha knew damn well that if Kagome popped out a girl Sesshoumaru would never let the kid see daylight, he'd have her wrapped up in cotton wool and protected from every male in the Era, most probably even the hanyou himself. Then again, he couldn't blame him. If his mate ever bared him a daughter he would have no choice but to kill every male ever born, and that would most definitely include Miroku and Kouga.

Rin placed her little hand on Kagome's stomach and beamed "Kagome the baby has grown"

"It most certainly has" Kagome smiled softly "The baby will continue to grow just like you and Shippo"

"What?" The kitsune gapped "Will your belly eventually explode when the baby gets too big?"

"No, when the baby gets too it will leave my belly"

"How?" Shippo asked

"Prince Sesshoumaru?" Rin then turned to Sesshoumaru with a cute confused look on her face "How are babies born? And where do they come from? And how are they even made?" Inuyasha immediately burst out laughing whilst Sango just stifled a giggle. Kagome bit her lip to stop any form of noise leaving her mouth as Shippo listened to Rin's questions

"Come on Sesshoumaru, ya gotta tell her" Inuyasha gripped his sides "It's a part of parenting"

"Uh..." Sesshoumaru could not believe she had asked him this and it didn't help at all to have Inuyasha in the picture "You're far too young to learn of such information" Clever answer I suppose. Rin then let out a small pout and moved her gaze to Inuyasha

"Do you know where babies come from Inuyasha?" Inuyasha immediately stopped laughing and gapped at the girl. Inutaisho and Jen had just jumped out of the well and overheard Rin, they both forgot about their roughed up appearances and hatred toward each other and watched the show

"Well sure" He then grinned unnerving both Sesshoumaru and Kagome "Ya see what happens is that a male and a female will get together and then they will wander off to the bedroom. There the male undresses both of them and..." He was cut off by Sango hitting him with her weapon that Miroku had just handed to her

"Inuyasha" She growled. She then turned to Rin and smiled sweetly "I'll tell you when you're older honey" Satisfied with her answer Rin nodded and ran off back to Kagome "Gee Yash, she's only a child"

"Well she wanted to know" He shrugged

"You're unbelievable" Sango rolled her eyes

"Be grateful Sango got to you first Inuyasha" Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes "If you say anything to any of the pups like that again I'll see to it that you're bound to Goshinboku for the rest of your life"

"Keh" Inuyasha huffed "Well sorry for answering the girl's question"

"Now now don't start you two" Inutaisho stepped in

"Us? How do you get off telling us not to fight?" Inuyasha snapped "All you and Jen do is scream at each other"

"Hey now calm down" Kagome stepped in between them "We've all just come home, none of us want to hear you two bickering and scrapping. The best thing to do now is to go back to the palace and relax some"

"Couldn't agree with you more" Sesshoumaru said as he came over and pulled her against him "The sooner we get back the sooner we can make arrangements" The youkai cloud then formed beneath him and Kagome as they took to the sky

"Make arrangements? For what?" Inutaisho pondered "Sesshoumaru" He then took to the sky and pursued his son. Jen moved her gaze to Inuyasha who was currently climbing onto Kirara

"Any ideas as to what Sesshoumaru was on about?"

"Nope" Inuyasha replied as he pulled Sango onto the two-tail "Maybe he's thinking of leaving you guys, can't say I blame him. All you two do is scream at each other" And with that Kirara took to the sky

"Maybe..." Jen let out a big sigh and followed her step-son. The rest of the gang then either climbed onto AhUn or a transformed Shippo and followed the inuyoukai back to the palace.

Sesshoumaru had done well by escaping his father's numerous questions by increasing his speed, he knew his father was faster than him and could easily catch him up but he also knew that his father had a responsibility to protect everyone from harm so he only found it natural when he stayed with Inuyasha. It was no surprise to him, Inutaisho had risked so much for Inuyasha in the past so he wouldn't have abandoned the pup to go after his eldest. Kagome looked up at her mate and sighed, she knew what was going to happen when they returned to the palace and it was not going to be good. Inutaisho and Jen would be screaming at everyone and Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru will most probably join in. The way she saw it, the sooner they moved into their own home the better. She and Sesshoumaru had planned to move after the pup's birth and possibly after Naraku's destruction, the pup would be far more safer at their current palace than if they moved. "Sessh, slow down a little. I'm feeling a little sick"

"Apologies" He decreased his speed and was relieved to find that his father hadn't attempted to catch up with him "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, I just want to get back to the palace and unwind" She then sighed "Though that's gonna be impossible once we tell your parents of our plans"

"I shall tell them, you may retire to our bed chambers and relax. I'm not going to have them stressing you out" From the far distance the palace peaked into view making Sesshoumaru's heart swell, he also loved returning home after a long journey. No matter where he went it was always going to be his home. "We shall be there soon, then you can bask in our hot spring and lay in our heavenly bed"

"It's only heavenly when you're sharing it with me" She leaned up and brushed her lips against his "And now we don't have to worry about making too much noise, I doubt my mom is going to hear us now"

"Yes" He smirked "Though we do need to be careful now that the pup is growing" He then rubbed her belly "A mere 4 months and our pup shall be born"

"And we shall spoil it rotten" Kagome beamed "Are you going to train it to be a warrior and to be the heir of Japan?"

"I will train our pup for self defence reasons only, as for the throne it will eventually inherit it though I will not raise our pup in the same way my father did with me. I want our pup to be proud to call me his father and to come to me with any problems. I want it to trust me and depend on me"

"Our little one will" Kagome smiled softly "Because it will be a part of you"

"I would prefer it to be more like you" He smirked "Especially if we have a girl, I want her to have the same outstanding beauty and gentleness as her mother"

"Well if we have a boy I want him to be strong, handsome, loving, kind, loyal and downright perfect, just like my mate" She then wrapped her arms around his neck as he leaned down and kissed her

"I love you" He breathed into her ear as he pulled away

"I love you too Sessh" The palace was now practically beneath them, Sesshoumaru landed with ease and released his mate. He then settled with holding her hand as they entered the palace not really bothering to wait for their kin. They then went straight to the sitting room and made themselves comfortable as they waited for everyone else to fall in, Sesshoumaru tried to convince Kagome to go upstairs but she refused. She wanted to stay by his side

"Are you sure Kagome? I don't want you getting stressed"

"I'll be fine Sesshoumaru, stop worrying" She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze just as all the gang piled in and sat down

"Right Sesshoumaru" Inutaisho spoke up "Explain. What arrangements were you speaking of back at Inuyasha's forest?"

"Well" Sesshoumaru sat back and wrapped his arm around Kagome's shoulders "Once the pup is born Kagome and I shall be moving away"

"WHAT?!" Inutaisho roared. Jen didn't say much, she knew their bickering was hard on her pup "Sesshoumaru you are not going anywhere, you have nowhere to go and I refuse to let you leave"

"Why not?" Sesshoumaru asked calmly "You don't really have any use for either Kagome or myself, there is no reason for us to stay"

"There's no reason for you to leave either"

"Yes there is" He met his father's stern gaze "I refuse to allow my pup to live with you and mother constantly fighting. It would not be healthy for it nor do I want my pup to see how idiotic its grandparents are"

"No Sesshoumaru" Inutaisho growled "You are not to leave this palace, you are to remain here until the day you die. It is tradition and your duty as Prince of Japan, I will not have my heir neglecting his duties"

"So that's what this is about" Sesshoumaru frowned slightly "You don't want me going anywhere because I'm your heir. I should have guessed as much"

"No it's not just that" Inutaisho sighed, knowing exactly where this was going "I don't want you leaving, you're the Prince of Japan. You're life will always been in constant danger, I couldn't live with myself if you went and got yourself killed."

"I assure you I am stronger than you think, I have survived well without you around for the past 200 years"

"That's not what I meant, I don't want you doing anything stupid just to get back at me. You have a mate and a pup on the way, don't put them at risk to hurt me"

"This has nothing to do with you and I'm leaving for them" Sesshoumaru snapped "I am not some immature fool and I would never waste my energy on getting back at you. I have my own life now and I could care less about you, all I care about now is my mate and unborn pup"

"Sesshoumaru I understand you hate me right now but we are going to make things work, I might seem like I'm being hard on you now but you'll forgive me in the long run, you'll see what I'm doing is right"

"I do not need your permission to leave father, I am no longer a child. I can make my own decisions and I will be damned before I allow you to subdue me"

"You may not be a child any more Sesshoumaru but I am still your father. You _will _subdue to me, I am the alpha of this family and it is your role to obey me" Sesshoumaru then growled and stood so that he was face to face with his father

"You lost that right when you walked out on this family, I will never subdue to you nor will I obey you. I'm beginning to think that Kagome and I shall leave sooner than planned"

"You will not be leaving, not even if I have to drag you to the dungeons and lock you there myself"

"Heh I'd like to see you try"

"Is that a challenge?" Inutaisho's eyes began to tint a dangerous red, Sesshoumaru knew he should really back down but he was too angry to care about his father's beast

"What if it is?"

"Sesshoumaru" Jen warned as she stood "Step down for now, your father is clearly unstable at the moment" Kagome stood as well and tried to go to her mate but Inuyasha pulled her back

"Yo you guys need to chill" Inuyasha spoke up "We don't need Kagome getting stressed out"

"Inuyasha's right" Jen added "Just calm down, both of you"

"Keep out of this" Inutaisho growled as he cracked his knuckles "Unless you want to be on the other end of these"

"Do not threaten my mother" Sesshoumaru warned "I'm rather surprised father, you never used to be so impatient. You were usually always so calm, what happened? Why do you not trust me to make my own decisions? And I never recall you raising your hand to your own kin"

"Be quiet Sesshoumaru, you are not doing yourself any favours. Be wise and get out of my sight, you have let my bloodthirsty side out and right now it's itching to sink my claws into you"

"Sesshoumaru for once listen to your father, take Kagome upstairs and to your chambers. That goes for the rest of you as well" Kagome then broke from Inuyasha's hold and moved over to Sesshoumaru. She took his hand and gently pulled him away from his father's deadly gaze, Inuyasha and the rest soon followed suit and retreated to their rooms. Jen on the other hand confronted her mate's beast and sighed "You're not doing yourself any favours by acting like this, you've really pissed Sesshoumaru off. He won't forgive you for this, you are just continually adding fuel to his fire"

"The boy needs to learn who the alpha of this family is, he will not leave here. It is his duty as my heir to remain here and take the throne from me when I am no longer able to rule Japan"

"So that's what this all comes down to" Jen went right up in his face "You only want him here as you're worried about your precious kingdom. Tell me Inutaisho, who comes first? Sesshoumaru or the throne?"

"Sesshoumaru will always come first but he cannot always have his way"

"Get a grip Inutaisho, he has never had anything from you that he's wanted. The only thing he's ever gotten that he desired in life was Kagome. You need to get your priorities straightened out, I refuse to allow you to pain him again. He's my son as well as yours and I cannot bear to watch him go through all of that again. He loved and trusted you so much Inutaisho, why did you have to leave him? I would have gladly stayed by you to make him happy" She then sighed "Just remember this Inutaisho, when you died so did he. I will not let you hurt him again, Kagome has worked so hard to repair what was once a happy and cheery boy. Don't mess this up again, you now have a second chance with both Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha. I'm willing to help you with your relationship with them but you have to wise up first"

"You're right" He then calmed resulting in his eyes to return to their golden shade "I am way too hard on him, I ruined his life and yes I even treat him like a child. I can't help it. I love him so much Jen, I don't want to lose him again. That's why I don't want him to leave, I'm afraid I'll never see him again. I just wish sometimes that both he and Inuyasha were pups again so I could gather them into my arms and just hold them for an eternity, you're so lucky Jen. You actually got to raise him, he actually loves you"

"He's loves you too Inutaisho, he's just angry with you. You need to stop being so uptight with him, look I'll have a word with him but you really need to sort yourself out. Sesshoumaru wants his father not his King, if you keep acting the way you are you'll never see him again"

"You're right" For the first time in centuries Inutaisho smiled as Jen and took her hands in his "Thank you" Jen immediately blushed as she stared into his eyes "I do believe though, we must stop out fighting. It is obviously upsetting the pups and the last thing Kagome needs is stress. We don't want a repeat of what happened to Sesshoumaru to happen to her"

"I agree" She then smiled back at him "We shall both stop our fighting. I will help you with Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha and in return you will wise up and be the father they want. Is that an agreement?"

"An agreement"

**Hey guys sorry I took so long**

**You have permission to shoot me...though how would I finish the story lol, well you can beat me with a club or something I guess**

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter**

**Reviews Please**

**Inuyashasesshy4eva**

**xXx**


	22. Hormones

Chapter Twenty Two – Hormones

Sesshoumaru paced his chambers angrily with a deep growl rumbling from his chest, he'd already destroyed a chair but stopped when he realized he'd scared Kagome. As for the little miko she just sat on the middle of the bed and watched her mate vent his anger, she didn't blame him. She'd be pretty ticked too if her mother or grandfather prevented her from moving on in life, what Inutaisho was doing was utterly selfish of him. Talk about parent of the year. Sighing Kagome placed her hand on her swelling stomach and smiled softly, at least they had a child to look forward to. She couldn't wait until she gave birth, she was so excited. She knew Sesshoumaru was enthusiastic too, she'd caught him on a few occasions looking at her bump with nothing but adoration in his eyes. "Sesshoumaru, come here" Sesshoumaru stopped in his pacing and softened his narrowed eyes as he looked at her

"What is it?"

"I'll tell you when you come here" Sesshoumaru sighed deeply, he hoped she wasn't 'in the mood' because he certainly wasn't. He was too damn angry and would end up taking it out on her during their love making. Slowly he crawled up the bed and sat beside her. There Kagome took his hand and placed it on her tiny bump "That's our little one in there" She smiled softly up at him "Are you proud to have me carrying your heir?"

"Of course" He breathed as he tried to relax, Kagome's scent was helping him so was the contact of almost being able to touch his pup. "I would have no other to birth my pup" He then leaned in and captured her lips in a soft loving kiss. Kagome moaned softly into the kiss and then pulled away when the need for oxygen dominated her "Just under four months and our pup shall be born, are you ready for the role of motherhood Kagome?"

"Yes" She met his eyes "Are you ready to be a father?"

"I am glad that I will be a father but I am unprepared" He admitted

"That's natural" Kagome replied as she kissed his cheek "I'm not prepared either, just excited"

"I'm assuming you will spoil this pup rotten"

"Of course" She then lay back into his lap "And I'm assuming that if we have a daughter she will never see the light of day"

"Exactly" He mused as he ran his claws through her hair "And if we have a son I shall make him the strongest being alive and I shall not follow my father's pathetic excuse of parenting. I will actually acknowledge my pup and will show him or her the love and respect they deserve"

"I just know you'll make a great father Sessh, though if we do have a girl you've got to give her some freedom"

"I don't think so, I'll lock her away in this palace like I will you" He then wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her up so that his lips could claim hers, Kagome's own arms immediately flung around Sesshoumaru's neck as she basked in the pleasure of his passionate kiss. The young Prince then supported himself on the bed and he lay her back and towered over her with their lips still locked, Kagome moaned softly and hook her one leg around his waist. Sesshoumaru growled in approval as he lay himself over her – making sure not to crush her – and let his now free hands trail up her legs and to her thighs

"Ah" Kagome gasped as she broke the kiss and looked lovingly up into her mate's eyes, they were both panting slightly as they gazed over each other's features "I..." She was interrupted by their bedroom door opening and slamming into the wall

"ASSHOLE" Inuyasha growled as he stormed in. Sesshoumaru growled deeply and sat up by Kagome's feet whilst the little miko stayed where she was

"Knock before you come in Inuyasha" Sesshoumaru ordered "I doubt you'd appreciate me walking in on you and Sango"

"Why on earth would you do something like that at a time like this? Of course I just came in, I didn't realize you'd be doing that after what just happened" Inuyasha replied

"We weren't going to do anything like that" Kagome rolled her eyes "We were just cuddling"

"Cuddling? He was mounting you" Inuyasha huffed as he sat on the edge of the bed "So when are we leaving?"

"We? Leaving?" The little miko asked

"Well yeah, if you're going to live somewhere else I'm coming too"

"Inuyasha we're not going anywhere at the moment" Sesshoumaru stated "There is no palace built as of yet and I doubt it will be finished before the pup is born"

"I guess" The hanyou sighed "Why is he such an asshole?"

"He most probably just doesn't want to lose his boys" Kagome replied "He's only just got you back, sure he went about it the wrong way but he's just acting like this because he doesn't want to lose you. Think about it Yash, he never saw you grow up so he wants that chance now; and Sesshoumaru, he doesn't want you to go because then he would have to admit that you're all grown up and do not need to rely on him any more. You two will most probably be the same when your pups are all grown up and ready to move on"

"Yeah but he still didn't have to freak out like that" Inuyasha huffed

"Then perhaps you should talk to him" She offered "You two need to have a heart to heart, then everything will be okay. The relationship with you and your dad right now reminds me of how you and Sesshoumaru used to be, you two couldn't stand each other and even wanted to kill the other and now look at you, you two are acting like brothers should"

"Keh, we only made up through you Kagome"

"That may be so little brother but Kagome does have a point, father and I will always fight over something but that doesn't have to be the same with you two"

"Maybe" He then sighed "I mean I do like him, like that day we all spent together in the dojo training. I had so much fun that day, but then I see him freaking out with either you or Jen and it makes me think if he's the father I want"

"He never used to be like that" Sesshoumaru replied as he moved to sit beside Kagome "He's only been back a short while Inuyasha, just give him a chance"

"How can you defend him after how he just treated you?" Inuyasha huffed

"Because I know how he used to be and can be. I just want you to see it"

"Well I'll give it one more try" Inuyasha caved in "But don't expect me to talk to him tonight, he has seriously pissed me off"

"I don't expect that from you at all little brother" Sesshoumaru replied "Though where is Sango? Surely she isn't happy with you leaving her all alone"

"She's gone to see the brats, she's scared that all this will have some sort of effect on them"

"Well she's right" Kagome huffed as she slid off the bed and moved to look out the window "They are children who have already had their own dark pasts, they don't need this. Everyone needs to wise up"

"You are right mate" Sesshoumaru moved to her and gave her shoulders an affectionate squeeze "I shall speak to father about this"

"It's not just your father" Kagome sighed "We all need to discuss this, we all have attitude problems from time to time. The children should not see this. When I have this child I don't want it to endure any of the things Rin and Shippo have"

"I agree" He wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her neck "No pup of ours shall ever endure any of that" Kagome smiled softly and then turned to Inuyasha

"Are you and Sango going to have any children soon?"

"We haven't planned" He shrugged "When she gets knocked up she gets knocked up" Kagome rolled her eyes at his comment

"I'm pretty hungry, do you want to get something to eat?" She asked her mate

"Yes, that and some rest" He then entwined his finger with hers "Inuyasha, will you be joining us?"

"Nah, I think I'm just gonna crash for the night, I'm absolutely beat. Ya know what I mean"

"Yeah, well see ya in the morning Yash"

"Yeah you too" They all then left the bed chambers and went their separate ways

Inutaisho was in the royal kitchen snacking on some raw boar and cursing himself. Why did he have to burst on his pup like that? Why couldn't he just get to grips that his son was finally all grown up? Growling softly he finished the meat and empted the contents in his sake cup. As he did so his eldest pup entered with his beauty of a mate at his side, looking at Kagome's small bump he began to feel even more guilty. What if he continued to stress her out? Would she end up miscarrying? It was certain Sesshoumaru wouldn't forgive him for that, though he wouldn't blame him. He doubted her would forgive himself either.

Sesshoumaru noticed none of the kitchen staff were there, he found it strangely odd until he found his father leaning against one of the counters in the far corner contemplating to himself. He had most probably ordered them away for the night. Ignoring his father Sesshoumaru turned to his mate "What do you want?"

"Wait a second, you're gonna cook?" She giggled slightly "Can you even cook?"

"Of course" He glared half-heartedly

"Yeah but can you cook human food?" When he didn't reply she laughed "That's what I thought, how about you make yours and I'll make mine?"

"I don't want you working" He placed his hands on her shoulders

"Sessh, I'm pregnant not crippled" She rolled her eyes "I'll be fine" She then broke away and began to raid the kitchen for something tasty to eat. As soon as Inutaisho saw that Sesshoumaru was alone he set his bowl down and moved over to his son "Sesshoumaru?"

"Whoa" Kagome jumped and grabbed her rapidly pulsing chest "Oh Inutaisho you startled me"

"Sorry my dear" He gave a small smile "Do you mind if I steal your mate away for a moment?"

"Help yourself" She smiled and continued with what she was doing. Inutaisho then caught Sesshoumaru's arm and pulled him over to the corner, Sesshoumaru allowed him to do this as he didn't want to argue with Kagome around

"I'm sorry for the way I reacted pup" He began "I shouldn't have snapped at you like that nor should I have threatened you, I am extremely sorry Sesshoumaru. I just don't want to lose you"

"Then perhaps you and mother should cease your insane bickering. That's the reason why Kagome and I wish to leave, Inuyasha wants to come with me as well"

"I'm sure he does" He sighed "I guess I reacted like that because I died when you were very young, I didn't want to accept the fact that you are all grown up now and don't need me around"

"Father" Sesshoumaru sighed softly "I know it's hard for you to accept that I'm an adult now but that doesn't mean I'm not going to need you. You'll always be my father so I will always want to confide in you about something, but if you continue the way you are then you will end up losing both myself and Inuyasha"

"I understand and I'm sorry" Surprising Sesshoumaru, Inutaisho reached out and hugged his son closely to him "I still wish you were a young pup at my hip again. I miss those days, you always relied on me then"

"I'll always rely on your father but you have to give me some space" He then pulled away from his father's embrace "Kagome and I are starting a family now and we'd like somewhere of our own, you can't be around me all the time. Don't forget you have two sons father"

"That I understand perfectly" Inutaisho then chuckled "So when I've pestered you long enough you suggest I go do the same to Inuyasha? That I think I will do"

"Hn" Sesshoumaru smirked "Inuyasha has gone up to bed, perhaps you can catch him before Sango retires herself"

"Yes I think I shall" He then gave his son a kiss on the forehead knowing it would annoy him "Goodnight my pup, goodnight Kagome"

"'Night Inutaisho" Kagome smiled softly as she walked over with a bowl of rice "See ya in the morning" Inutaisho nodded and ran off to find his youngest "So have you two made up?"

"I believe so" Sesshoumaru replied as he kissed her cheek "Now all he has to do is to get Inuyasha's affections"

"Just encourage him with a bowl of ramen" She winked "That's what I do to get him to forgive me" Sesshoumaru smirked and wrapped his arms around her from behind "You're not having my rice" She laughed

"I wouldn't dream of it, I might be lacking an arm...again" He then pulled away and headed over to the cupboards to prepare himself something to eat

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"You'll most probably lop my arm off, I thought it was pretty obvious"

"Are you calling me fat?!" He quickly turned due to the tone of her voice to meet her annoyed eyes

"No" He then frowned slightly "I was merely joking mate, do not take things to heart"

"Well it better had been a joke" She then continued to eat her rice, Sesshoumaru resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he continued preparing his supper _'Why do I get the feeling she's going to get really touchy during the next 3 months?'_...

2 months later...

Kagome was fed up, her bump had grown immensely making her feel fat. She hated feeling like this. Sure she was glad to be carrying her child but did it have to make her look so big? According to Inutaisho youkai women looked a great deal bigger when pregnant, that's what unnerved her the most. Her bump wasn't that big really but she was just conscious, she especially felt like this when the women of Inutaisho's court began flirting with her mate. She was always scared that he was going to sleep with another female because she was no longer attractive in his eyes. Obviously she was only feeling like this because her hormones were all over the place. That's the downfall of pregnancy

Sighing softly Kagome was in the sitting room reading a book, Sesshoumaru was out on patrol; Jen was playing with the children in the garden; Inuyasha and Sango were _busy_; Miroku and the wolves had gone to annoy the servants and Inutaisho was in his study so all in all Kagome was bored to no end. The only thing to keep her occupied was the damned book and she was already beginning to get bored of it. This is why she hated her hormones so much right now, first she loved the book now she hated it; she used to love chocolate now she hates it; she used to love being alone now she hates it; she used to love pleasuring her mate now she hates it. Damn she was going to go crazy if her emotions continued to change. She was about to give up and go for a nap when she heard Inutaisho and Jen arguing, that's another thing that annoyed her. They had began bickering again, she guessed that it was okay since Sesshoumaru wasn't around but it still annoyed _her_. The former mates stormed into the sitting room not realizing Kagome was there and continued their arguing "Get a grip Inutaisho"

"No I won't Jen, you need to stop flirting with all male in my court. It's getting damned annoying and I don't think Sesshoumaru would appreciate a step-father right now"

"I haven't been flirting with any males Inutaisho, you're just getting paranoid"

"Oh so _accidentally _tripping and being caught by one of them isn't flirting? Are you that desperate?"

"Excuse me?! I did trip alright, I didn't do it purposely and no I'm not desperate. And even if I was they'd be a damn improvement from what I had last time"

"Oh and I'm guessing that last time was me" She nodded "Why you..." He was cut off by Kagome standing and making herself known

"Look I can't say this in a nice way but both of you shut it. All you've done later is constantly fight, it's so annoying. Get a grip both of you. Do you think anyone here wants to hear you two at it? Gee can you guys just get along and if you can't do that just ignore each other. You're driving me insane"

"Okay Kagome we're sorry" Jen began hoping that she hadn't distressed the miko too much

"Yes my dear, now just calm down" Inutaisho added

"I will not calm down, I shall calm when I'm finished" She snapped "The children better not have seen you two arguing either, they've had enough grief in their lives and don't need to see you two screaming at each other"

"They didn't see anything I assure you"

"I sent them upstairs"

"Well you better had or otherwise..." Kagome trailed off when the pup in her stomach began to kick her uncontrollably, she placed her hand on her stomach to calm it but it wasn't working. "Oh great you've upset the baby now, well done you guys. You always know how to upset someone"

"Kagome perhaps you should sit down" Jen offered. Both ignored her outburst as they knew it was only due to her hormones running wild

"No I will not sit down, I'm fine by here. How about you two sit down and..." The room began to spin "...sit down and talk things through like adults. I can't count the times you have upset Sesshoumaru, you two need to sort..." Her head began to spin much faster and her eyes began to feel heavy "...sort your priorities..." Her eyes then slid closed as she collapsed

"Kagome!" Inutaisho managed to catch her before she could hit the ground. He gathered her firmly into his arms and turned to Jen "Send Yuri to Sesshoumaru's room, that's where I'll lay Kagome. Get Inuyasha while you're at it as well" Jen nodded and they both went their separate ways...

Inuyasha and Sango lay in Inuyasha's bed contently, that was the most passionate session that had ever had. They were both pretty exhausted but Inuyasha wanted to see Kagome before he got any rest, he'd promised Sesshoumaru that he'd check in on her every so often so that's what he intended to do. As soon as he was sure his mate was asleep Inuyasha slid out of bed and re-dressed, man he was tired. This was the last thing he wanted to do right now, like come on. It wasn't like Kagome was in any danger in the comfort of their own home, the worst thing that bag of hormones could do was to get a paper cut. And to be quite truthful, ever since the girl was something like six weeks pregnant she began to focus all her hormonal tension at him. He was rather afraid to be around her, last time she had sat him like twelve times just because he accidentally knocked the book she _wasn't _reading on the floor. Sighing to himself Inuyasha was about to leave when Jen burst in looking distraught "Inuyasha"

"Look Jen, we've been over this like a million times...FREAKING KNOCK" Inuyasha's outburst caused Sango to wake and immediately cover herself

"Look I usually would but there's been a problem" Jen huffed "Kagome's collapsed, I need you to go get Sesshoumaru before something even worse happens"

"Kagome" Sango gasped as she quickly threw on a nightdress and sped straight off to her sister's chambers

"What in the world happened to her?" Inuyasha growled

"Look I'll tell you after you get Sesshoumaru, just please hurry Inuyasha. I'm really worried about her, she needs Sesshoumaru here to calm her"

"Alright alright I'm going" He strapped Tetsusaiga to his waist "I'll be back with him within the hour, just make sure nothing happens to her" He then sped out of his room, out of the palace and began to follow his brother's scent...

**Well what ya think?**

**Sorry it took so long, there's been a family bereavement so ya know and sorry if the fic seemed a little rushed. I promise to make it up to you**

**Reviews Please :)**

**Inuyashasesshy4eva**

**xXx**


	23. Pup

Chapter Twenty Three – Pup

Sesshoumaru was annoyed, he had been away from his mate for about 5 hours. Sure he had to protect his kingdom but he still didn't like leaving her. To be truthful he didn't trust his father to look after her, something in his gut told him that she wasn't safe with him. No, he didn't believe his father would hurt her or anything but just being around him would surely bring danger to her. He'd only agreed to leave her there instead of accompanying him because she was pregnant, though he did threaten Inuyasha to keep an eye on her. The hanyou looked to Kagome as a sister so Sesshoumaru trusted his little brother to protect her. He was grateful he was almost finished with his patrol, just one more check in the youkai village and he could go home to his mate.

Wiping the blood from his blade Sesshoumaru continued forward when his brother's scent hit his overly sensitive nose _'That boy needs to bathe. What would he be doing out here anyway? He should be back at the palace with Kagome' _The young Prince stayed where he was to allow Inuyasha to catch up to him, that and he wanted to beat the idiot for leaving his mate alone. Letting his eyes lead to the direction the scent was coming from he saw a figure of red running at him with inhuman speed _'Something's wrong, Inuyasha never usually goes that fast' _In an instant Inuyasha was in front of him trying to catch his breath "What are you doing out here Inuyasha?"

"S-Sesshoumaru...I...it's Kagome" He panted "Ya mother said something's happened to her...she wouldn't tell me what she just ordered me to come get you. She said you need to be there to calm Kagome before she gets worse" Sesshoumaru immediately sheathed his sword and turned to his brother

"I'll transform into my true form, it will be faster to get to the palace that way. As soon as I have jump on my back" Inuyasha nodded and watched in amazement as his brother transformed into his true self. He then jumped as high as he could and climbed onto his brother's back. Once Sesshoumaru made sure his brother was secure he began to sprint back to the palace, knocking some trees down as he went...

Inutaisho, Jen and Sango were gathered around Kagome's bed as Yuri went to work on healing the poor girl. Jen had told her what had happened which infuriated her, as soon as Sesshoumaru arrived she would have him kick his parents out of his room. She placed a small damp cloth on Kagome's forehead to keep her fever down as she ran some tests on her "Is she going to be alright Yuri?" Sango pleadingly asked

"I wish I knew Sango" Yuri sighed "The pup is not doing too well, if it dies then there is the possibility that Kagome dies with it. She can only take so much stress, she has a heavy burden on her shoulders as it is and it didn't help when a certain King and Queen began fighting right in front of her. I believe the sooner Prince Sesshoumaru gets here the better" She tested Kagome's breathing to see if it was okay only to find it rather shallow and wheezy "Damn it" She cursed as she grabbed another pillow and placed it behind Kagome's head

"What's wrong?"

"She's beginning to find it hard to breath" Kagome then began to whimper as she tossed and turned "She's in pain" She then inspected her bump "The pup is causing her pain, it feels her distress therefore upsetting it, if this keeps then we shall have to birth the pup"

"But how? Kagome's not awake and it's too early for the pup to be born" Jen panicked. Just as she said this the sound of slamming of doors was heard as Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha barged through the palace and straight to where Kagome was. Sesshoumaru was the first in and growled angrily at his mate's condition

"What happened?!" He went to her side immediately and brushed the bangs from her eyes

"Your parents that's what" Yuri huffed "Kagome's breathing has decreased and she is running a fever. The pup is also beginning to act up, if it keeps this up then we shall have to birth it" She explained as she took the flannel from Kagome, soaked it in cool water and replaced it on her forehead

"How can you birth the pup if she's unconscious?" Inuyasha asked from Sango's side

"I will have to slice Kagome open and extract the pup from her"

"No!" Sesshoumaru growled threateningly "You will not kill her, I can't lose her again"

"Prince Sesshoumaru, if Kagome keeps on like this then we will have no choice. Either we at least save the pup or let them both die" Sesshoumaru dipped his head to Kagome's cheek and nuzzled it, he also placed his hand on her pregnant bump and rubbed it soothingly. Kagome stopped whimpering in pain and calmed down, Yuri inspected the pup and sighed thankfully

"They have both calmed now, you may have just prolonged your mate's life. But do not get your hopes up, she's not safe yet" Sesshoumaru nodded and kissed Kagome's cheek

"How did she end up in this state?" He glared up at his parents "What did you do?"

"We..." Jen began but trailed off

"We were arguing in front of her, I swear though Sesshoumaru. We didn't see her. If we did we would have stopped immediately, we only found out she was there when she stood and began shouting at us. I assume she got too distressed and collapsed"

"I knew I couldn't trust you to look after her, neither of you could put aside your differences to care for her in my absence"

"Sesshoumaru we're so sorry" Jen looked like she was pleading "We didn't mean to do this to her"

"Just leave" They didn't move causing Sesshoumaru's anger to spike even more "Get out!"

"Son..." Inutaisho began

"Dad just leave" Inuyasha sighed "You both have done enough" They both nodded sadly and reluctantly left with their tails between their legs "How is Kagome now Yuri?"

"She's sleeping" Yuri smiled softly "Prince Sesshoumaru I need you to stay with her, you're the only person keeping her relaxed"

"I'm not going to leave her side again" He breathed as he wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes. Yuri walked over to Inuyasha and leaned into his ear

"I'm going to get some medicinal herbs from my room, stay with your brother. Seeing Kagome like this will make him slightly unstable, inform me if there's any change from Kagome as well"

"Sure thing" And with that Yuri left. Inuyasha and Sango sat on the small couch at the foot of the bed and kept an eye on the two lovers. "Don't worry about dad and your mom Sessh, I'll see to them"

"No" He met his brother's gaze sternly "I want you to go to Monomaru and request on my behalf that another palace is to be built near to this one, it needs to be built as soon as possible"

"I'll go when Yuri returns, I know she'll kick dad out if he tries to come in"

"For what they did to Kagome I have every right to slay them" Sango growled as she stood and went to Kagome's side, opposite Sesshoumaru. "She doesn't deserve to go through any of this, neither do you Sesshoumaru. You've both lost so much, you've even lost each other at one point"

"I realize what my parents did wasn't with any dark intents but they should know better than to argue at all with Kagome in the palace in this state, especially when I am away. I'm rather surprised you wasn't with her Sango" Sesshoumaru replied

"I was going to but Kagome ushered me away so that I could spend some time with Inuyasha, she insisted she'd be fine and that she'd spend her time reading a book. I think she was anxious for you to come home, she was most probably missing you"

"Either that or she was dying to scream at you like she had been with me all this morning" Inuyasha huffed as he folded his arms in his sleeves like a big kid "She really hurts my ears when she goes into crazy mode"

"You better get used to it Yash" Sango explained "I'll eventually fall pregnant one day and then you'll have to put up with me 24/7"

"Ugh don't remind me" He sighed "Ya..." He was cut off when he heard Kagome's small whimpers. Sesshoumaru's gaze immediately returned to his mate's as her eyes slowly slid open

"Mate?" He caressed her cheek

"Sesshou...?" Through half-lidded exhausted eyes Kagome looked up at her mate "W-what happened?"

"My parents distressed you through their insane bickering, I assure you that they will not do so again. Once the pup is born we're going. Inuyasha is going to instruct Monomaru to provide us a palace soon"

"Sesshoumaru" Kagome sighed softly as she caught the hand on her cheek "You cannot abandon your parents and move out just because they made one minor mistake"

"Minor? Kagome, Yuri told me that you're in a critical state. If I hadn't gotten here when I had you would be dead"

"It's not your parents fault, it's mine"

"Yours? How could it be?"

"I've been rather depressed lately, I've been on my own a lot so I've been feeling sorry for myself. I'm missing my family and friends, I miss my old life in high school and I wish the child would hurry up and be born. I feel like this when you have to leave to work, I panic you're going to find someone better and leave me. I'm the one whose been stressing myself out, not you're parents"

"Why would you think I'd go with someone else? I love you Kagome" Inuyasha's jaw dropped at Sesshoumaru's forwardness

"Well look at me, I'm fat. I've seen how the women at your father's court look at you, I've seen how they flirt with you. They're far more attractive than me and they're thin"

"Kagome" Sesshoumaru leaned down and brushed his lips against her forehead "You're not fat, you're pregnant. I'm not a fool, I know that the women of my father's court flirt with me. I pay no mind to them, I have you. They only want to get into my bed for my crown. I find you far more attractive" He then gently rubbed her stomach "This should prove to you how much I love you"

"I know" She smiled softly and then sighed "My hormones are just getting the better of me, that's the downfall of pregnancy"

"Indeed" He then kissed her tenderly "Rest mate, you're overly exhausted. You have a small fever so I don't want you moving around"

"You mean like you did when you had one but even worse?" She teased

"Exactly" He smirked "I've learnt my lesson. You should learn from it too" He brushed the bangs from her eyes and pulled the covers over her some more "Now sleep, I shall be here when you wake"

"If I must" She sighed "Thanks for being here for me Sesshoumaru, I love you. You know that right?"

"Of course" He kissed her forehead. Kagome smiled up at him and closed her eyes

"Tell Yasha and Sango I said hi" She breathed as she allowed sleep to claim her once again. She curled up against his outer thigh as Sesshoumaru placed a protective arm over her shoulder

"She must have been so exhausted not to have acknowledged us" Sango smiled sadly as she looked down at her sister "I think as soon as the baby's born the better"

"Sesshoumaru do you still want me to go to Monomaru?" Inuyasha asked as he went to his mate's side

"No, Kagome is right. Though they are still partly to blame" He then sighed "If she forgives them then I shall have to do the same thing, there are to be no more fights"

"Well I think I'm gonna go tell dad and Jen that" Inuyasha stated "Sango you stay here just in case Kagome needs Yuri, I'll be back soon"

"Sure" He then pecked Sango's lips and left Sesshoumaru's chambers without another word. Once he left his brother, mate and sister; Inuyasha headed straight to the study where he knew he'd at least find his father.

To his luck Inuyasha found both his father and Jen sitting in the study looking incredibly guilty and nervous. He closed the study door causing them to jump slightly, this just told him that they hadn't even noticed him coming in. Inutaisho looked up at his youngest hopefully "How is she son?"

"She just woke up" He replied bluntly as he walked over to them

"Is she well?" Jen asked

"She seems so but Sesshoumaru told her to get some more sleep to allow her fever to calm, he doesn't want her collapsing like he did"

"He's a wise boy" Inutaisho smiled to himself

"Yeah" Inuyasha snorted "I wonder where he gets it from" Inutaisho's smile then dropped "Well he doesn't get it from either of you. If you two had any brains you wouldn't have been arguing at all"

"We know" Jen sighed as she rubbed her eyes "We are sincerely sorry. Does Kagome remember what happened?"

"Sesshoumaru told her, you may want to thank her after. She just saved both of your relationships with him"

"What do you mean?" Inutaisho asked rather confused

"Sesshoumaru blamed you two for what happened but Kagome came to your defence. She said it was her fault for not properly looking after herself, she's been suffering some depression so she has been neglecting herself"

"Oh I see, what did Sesshoumaru say to that?"

"He reasoned that it wasn't all your fault though you two shouldn't have been fighting in the first place. He wanted me to go to Monomaru to have a palace built nearby for when the pup was born. You're lucky Kagome convinced him otherwise"

"Indeed"

"Inutaisho we both need to wise up" Jen sighed "If we keep up like this we're going to lose Sesshoumaru and Kagome. And maybe even Inuyasha and Sango" She looked up at the hanyou "You may not be my blood Inuyasha but I do look at you as one of my own, I wouldn't want to lose you either"

"I look at you as a mother figure as well Jen...even though you threw me into a wall once" He muttered the last few words under his breath

"Yes sorry about that love" Jen smiled softly "You just reminded me of your father, no hard feelings?"

"I think you knocked them out of me" He joked "Well I'm going to get Sango and spar in the garden with Miroku if you need me"

"Go enjoy yourself pup" Inutaisho smiled "Though could you tell Sesshoumaru that I would like to see him soon, I'd like to apologize to him"

"Yeah, sure thing dad" And with that the hanyou left...

Thanks to Inuyasha everything seemed to work out from there. Sesshoumaru had made up with his parents who had apologized continually to both he and Kagome. Kagome herself had recovered within two days and was back to her cheery self – well as cheery as she could be with an aching back and sore feet – but all was well. It had been nearly a month since that incident and the palace had been surprisingly peaceful. Jen and Inutaisho had ceased their fighting and were strangely getting along, Kagome believed that the two were slowly beginning to fall for each other once again but Sesshoumaru just said that was ridiculous. They couldn't hate each other one month and then love each other the other month. Kagome though being the fiery girl she was – especially in her pregnant state – bit back and said that the two had most probably been in love for a while but only fought to hide the truth. But Sesshoumaru being the arrogant Prince he admittedly was just told her to stop being foolish and then pretty much legged it when his mate began to get angry.

As of now Kagome was in the new nursery putting away the last of the things she had brought back from her time for her pup. Even she was beginning to think she had bought too much, Sango had said the same thing earlier but had given up and had gone off to find Inuyasha. She found cleaning the nursery was far too much work. Kagome found that Inuyasha was slightly brushing off on Sango when it came to cleaning, but then again she couldn't blame her from running away from this. Even she wanted to give up. No one was here to help her either, all the males were in the dojo training; Sango was most probably watching; Jen was off helping the gardeners rearrange the garden and the children were playing in Rin's room. Heck even Jaken was busy feeding AhUn. It was so not fair, she needed help for crying out loud. She knew Sesshoumaru would help her but there was a slight problem with that. The young Prince didn't know she was doing any type of work and if he found out he would most probably lock her away in their bed chambers with him. In Kagome's state he most definitely didn't want her doing any work. She didn't know why though, she was pregnant not handicapped.

Sighing softly Kagome grabbed the suitcase and shoved it into the wardrobe, she then grimaced slightly when a shooting pain coursed through her _'Uh oh' _She panicked. She then looked down to the floor to find the carpet wet beneath her "Oh great my water's broke, what a freaking time. This kid will AHHHHH" She then screamed as a contraction hit her, damn it she was in labour and everyone she knew wasn't anywhere near her. She grimaced as she wobbled over to the door in a futile attempt to get to her mate, it was no good. As soon as she reached the hallway she doubled over in pain as tears began to stream down her cheeks "Ah" She whimpered as she grasped her stomach "SESSHOUMARU" She screamed on the top of her lungs. This was not good, the child was not supposed to be born for at least another month. Oh how Kagome wished someone would find her, she didn't give a damn if Naraku showed up right now. As long as someone was with her she couldn't care less.

Finally some luck. Monomaru had heard Kagome's distressed scream and had run upstairs to find that she had been brought to her knees by her own pup "My lady" He went straight to her side and tried to lift her, she batted him away and began to scream

"N-no don't move me" She cried "It hurts too much"

"Then what am I supposed to do ma'am? I can't leave you here to give birth on your own"

"Please..." She grasped his hand "Please get Sesshoumaru, I need him here"

"Of course but we need to move you first"

"No, it's too late. Just get Sesshoumaru"

"...as you wish" Monomaru reluctantly stood and left Kagome to find Sesshoumaru. He didn't want to leave her in that state, he was worried about his Princess. Sprinting as fast as he could Monomaru flew straight into the garden where he then bolted into the dojo unannounced

"Monomaru" Inutaisho cursed. The fool had distracted his eldest resulting in him almost slicing his son's head off "Explain yourself immediately"

"Prince Sesshoumaru" He gasped for breath "It's Princess Kagome, she's in labour outside the..." He didn't get a chance to finish. As soon as he heard the words "Kagome" and "labour" Sesshoumaru dived from the dojo and straight after his mate's scent. Monomaru sighed and turned to his King "She won't let me move her, I tried to bring her to her chambers but she said it hurts too much"

"Don't worry Monomaru" The King calmed "You have done well, now I request that you get Yuri and bring her to Kagome. Where is our Princess anyway?"

"In the hallway outside the nursery, I didn't want to leave her side but she was screaming for the young Prince"

"Shit" Inuyasha cursed as he Miroku and Sango ran from the dojo and to their friend/sister...

Sesshoumaru had followed Kagome's scent to the hallway, he continued down until he found her kneeling outside the nursery panting "Kagome?" He was at her side immediately as he set his hands on her shoulders "Monomaru tells me you're in labour"

"Yes..." She hissed "Sesshoumaru...make the pain...go away..."

"It will soon mate, allow me to move you to our chambers" Kagome shook her head as fresh tears streamed down her cheeks "It's not healthy for you to give birth out here"

"No Sesshoumaru" She whimpered "Moving me could harm the baby"

"Kagome's right" Yuri stated as she and Monomaru approached with some towels and medicines "We have no choice than to birth the child here" Sesshoumaru growled slightly but agreed "Now I need you to help her through this and..." She was cut off by the sound of Kagome's name being called

"KAGOME" Miroku, Inuyasha and Sango called as they ran to their friend's aid

"How is she?" Sango asked as she and Inuyasha seated themselves beside their friend and opposite Sesshoumaru

"I'm in pain" Kagome snapped as Inuyasha put a pillow behind her as she was set to sit against the wall "Sesshoumaru" She grabbed his hand and began to squeeze it "We're not having another one"

"Heh we will" He mused as he kissed her forehead. Yuri then lifted Kagome legs and pulled down her underwear but not before she made Miroku stand next to Monomaru – the lecher. She then then inspected the little miko

"She's dilated, Kagome I need you to start pushing now"

"O-okay" Sesshoumaru sensed his mate's fear and used his free hand to support her back

"You'll be alright Kagome, I'm right here" He breathed into her ear. Jen and Inutaisho then made their way to the scene where Jen then kneeled beside Yuri whilst Inutaisho stood by his son's kneeling form. He placed his hand on his son's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze

"And push" Yuri ordered. Kagome did so and screamed as pain ripped through her "And again, come on Kagome you can do it" She complied but cried out. Sesshoumaru was close to ripping the pup from her himself, he hated seeing his mate in pain. Inutaisho sensed this so made sure to keep a firm grip of his shoulder "You're doing great Kagome"

"I can see the head" Jen beamed "Come on Kagome, just a few more pushes"

"I..." Kagome bit her bottom lip as she gave on massive push "No more..." She cried as she leaned her head against Sesshoumaru "It hurts too much"

"Just one more Kagome" Yuri urged "One more should do it"

"Come on Kags" Inuyasha nudged her softly "You're stronger than this"

"Go on Kagome" Inutaisho smiled "I believe you deserve a pup after all you've been through"

"Fine" She breathed as she looked up at Sesshoumaru "For you then"

"I'm right beside you" He kissed her cheek. Kagome then prepared herself for the worst and sucked in a huge breath

"AHHHHHH" She screamed as she pushed her child from her body completely

"Good girl" Jen grinned. Kagome fell back against her mate and panted for breath, the sound of a baby's cry hit her ears and she smiled tiredly. Sesshoumaru rubbed his mate's shoulders as he looked over to where his mother and healer were cleaning and checking on his pup and heir

"Perfectly healthy" Yuri beamed

She then went on with sorting Kagome out whilst Jen wrapped the pup up in a blanket and walked over to Sesshoumaru. She then kneeled beside him and smiled softly "Congratulations you two, you have a baby boy"

"A boy?" Kagome smiled softly as she received a hug from Inuyasha and Sango "Let Sesshoumaru hold him first" Jen nodded and turned to her son

"I don't know how to hold a pup" Sesshoumaru admitted. Inutaisho then came up behind him and placed Sesshoumaru's arms correctly, Jen then slid the pup into her son's arms and kissed his forehead

"I'm so proud of both of you" Sesshoumaru moved his gaze to the pup in his arms with utter curiosity. The pup looked identical to him, he had his father's silver hair, all his markings but his eyes were gold but with a hint of blue in them and his skin colour was more of Kagome's shade. He truly was their son.

"He's perfect" Sesshoumaru muttered as he cradled his son in his arms

"He's handsome alright" Inutaisho mused "Gets it from me"

"Poor child" Jen joked. Ignoring his parents Sesshoumaru moved to his mate and gently placed the pup in her lap. Kagome knew how to support the child and how to hold him as she had helped her mother raise Souta. She looked down at the little bundle in her arms and smiled

"He's gorgeous" A small tear fell down her cheek. The pup looked up at her and caught her finger in his little hand

"He's a cutie too" Sango added as she shuffled closer to see the pup

"Sure he's cute alright, just a shame he looks like Sesshoumaru" Inuyasha teased

"Well as long as he doesn't have your table manners Inuyasha I'm sure I can cope" Kagome poked her tongue out at him and then turned back to the pup in her arms "I've got two of you now Sessh" She grinned. Sesshoumaru only smiled softly as he kissed her cheek, his eyes were focused on the pup in Kagome's arms

"Name him Kagome"

"What?" Kagome met her mate's eyes that were now on her "I thought you would have wanted to name your heir"

"I know you have thought of a name for him, I can see it in your eyes. Name him"

"Are you sure?" He nodded "Well I was thinking Maru, but if you don't like it..." The pup gurgled in delight causing her to cease talking

"I believe he likes it" Sesshoumaru mused as he reached out and caressed the magenta stripes on his son's cheek "Maru" The pup then gurgled again

"Awe that is a sweet name" Jen smiled "Little Maru, Prince of Japan"

"It is also a fitting name" Inutaisho added. Yuri nodded in agreement as she redressed Kagome's lower half and had Monomaru help her with gathering the supplies

"You're fine and healthy Kagome, congratulations both of you"

"Thank you so much Yuri" Kagome smiled gratefully up at the old healer "How can I ever repay you?"

"Raise your son with love and care" She replied as she rose to her feet "And give him all the attention he deserves, spoil him rotten"

"Oh you don't need to worry about that" She grinned "Am I allowed to walk now?"

"Yes though do not push yourself. You still need to rest and regain your strength"

"I understand, thank you again Yuri" Yuri nodded and headed back to her room where she then intended on telling all of her apprentice healers of baby Maru. Once Yuri and Monomaru were gone Miroku went to Inuyasha's side and gazed down at the small infant

"He's gonna have all the girls chasing him when he's older" He winked

"Let's just make sure he doesn't turn out a lecher like you" Sango mused

"Perhaps now would be best to move Kagome to her room" Inutaisho insisted "There the pup can get settled and Kagome can get some rest"

"You're right, Kagome allow me to hold Maru whilst Sesshoumaru helps you to your feet" Jen offered. Kagome complied and handed the pup over to his grandmother "Awe you're so adorable" She cooed as she brought him over to Inutaisho "He looks just like Sesshoumaru when he was born"

"Indeed, I can still remember how prideful I felt when I held him in my arm" Inutaisho replied as he placed his hand on Jen's shoulder and give her a small squeeze. Kagome watched the interaction as Sesshoumaru lifted her to her feet

"See I told you something was going on between them" She whispered

"Hn" Was Sesshoumaru's defeated reply. He then slithered his arm around her waist for support as Jen handed Maru back to his mother

"If you lot go on to Sesshoumaru's room I'll bring a crib or whatever Kagome calls it in there" Inuyasha suggested

"Thanks Yash" Kagome smiled

"I'll get him something to wear as well" Sango added "Go on ahead we'll be there now" The rest nodded and went off to Sesshoumaru's and Kagome's room. Inuyasha and Sango entered the nursery and sighed

"Cute kid huh"

"Adorable" Sango replied as she went through the draws until she found what Kagome called it a "baby grow". She just grabbed a plain white one and the baby bag that Kagome had prepared with all the things that the baby would need. "I don't think Sesshoumaru can believe his eyes at the moment. He's gone very quiet, most likely he's still in shock"

"I'd say he's more amazed" Inuyasha mused as he grabbed a small crib "Hopefully I will be having the same reaction soon" He looked to his mate "I think it's about time we started our own family too"

"I agree" Sango made her way to Inuyasha and kissed him softly on the lips "Though giving birth does look like a painful process"

"But it's worth it"

"Hell yeah" She laughed "Come on Yash, let's get back to the happy couple before hell breaks loose"

"Yeah, Sesshoumaru will most probably smash this thing over my head if we don't hurry up" Inuyasha laughed "I'm glad things have worked out for them though"

"I know, and I also believe Maru has brought your father and Jen closer. They seemed to be very affectionate to each other just now"

"Keh, as long as they don't start screaming at each other with the pup around I could care less"

"It doesn't bother you?" Sango raised a brow

"What do ya mean?"

"Your father may fall in love with someone other than your mother, does it bother you?"

"Not really, I mean he has to move on eventually. So have I. I'm glad I fell for you otherwise I'd most probably be dwelling over Kikyo" He then lifted the crib and began to leave the nursery "Come on babe, before Sesshoumaru kills us"

"Coming" Sango then smiled to herself _'You've done a lot of growing up Inuyasha, I'm proud of you'_

**Dun Dun Dun**

**Well what do ya think?**

**Sorry it took so long but ya know, school has to get in the way lol**

**Hope you enjoyed it**

**Reviews please :)**

**Inuyashasesshy4eva**

**xXx**


	24. Mother and Fatherhood

Chapter Twenty Four - Mother and Fatherhood

Night. Peace and quiet. That's why Sesshoumaru loved it so much. He was now finally alone with his mate and pup, now his mate could finally get the much needed rest she deserved. She had already fed their son so now Sesshoumaru took him into his care whilst his mate slept. The young Prince cradled his son in his arms as he sat at his windowsill and gazed out the window. The moonlight shone through and straight onto the bundle in his arms, Maru was certainly glowing "Child of the moon" He breathed "Like me" He then leaned down and kissed his son's crescent moon. The view of the window lead to the front of the palace, it revealed the seal where he had been struck on. Sesshoumaru bit back a growl as he looked at it. He knew his son would never be safe until Naraku was dead, the dark hanyou was and is determined to shed his innocent blood upon the seal. He held his son close as he let off a rumbling vibration to send his son to sleep "I will protect you Maru, I promise"

The pup looked up at his father and yawned, his eyes slowly slid shut as he fell into a peaceful slumber. He certainly was a heavy sleeper like his mother, Sesshoumaru mused to himself as he stood with Maru in his arms. He carried him over to the crib Inuyasha had brought in earlier, Sesshoumaru scowled slightly when he remembered what happened between he and his father earlier...

_Flashback_

_Inuyasha had just brought in the crib with Sango carrying the baby supplies whilst Rin and Shippo were introduced to little Maru. Inutaisho looked to his youngest and frowned "Inuyasha why did you bring the crib in here?"_

"_So that Maru can sleep somewhere, why else?" Inuyasha rolled his eyes at his father_

"_Sesshoumaru" Inutaisho moved his gaze to his eldest "You should keep your pup in the nursery when he sleeps, you don't want him getting to accustomed to being around you all of the time"_

"_Why not?" Sesshoumaru frowned from where he sat on the edge of the bed. Rin and Shippo were either side of him staring at Maru in his arms in awe "There's no harm in having him grow accustomed to us and he'll be more content in here. He will be able to smell both and I Kagome so he'll be settled"_

"_Yes but you both can't be around him all the time, he has to fend for himself"_

"_He's a newborn, how will he be able to fend for himself?"_

"_I mean when he's older, you don't want him growing up relying on mommy and daddy"_

"_Actually I do" Sesshoumaru stood with Maru still in his arms "I want my son to know that he can come to me with any problems and not having to worry about being shunned or ignored" Inutaisho was about to bite back when Jen placed her hand on his shoulder_

"_Inutaisho, Sesshoumaru has a point. You have to remember as well that Maru is Sesshoumaru's son, not yours" She explained "Sesshoumaru is his parent so let him raise him the way he wants to. We're only here to give advice"_

"_And to babysit" Kagome mused as Rin and Shippo dived into her lap_

"_Fine but don't have too many pups" Jen laughed_

"_You're right" Inutaisho sighed as he met his son's stern gaze "You're the father, you have the right to raise him in any way you want. I apologize for intervening"_

_End Flashback_

Shaking away the memory Sesshoumaru reluctantly lay his son in the crib and pulled a blanket over his tiny form. Sesshoumaru had been rather concerned that he was rather small and thin, all the children and pups he'd seen were usually rather chubby. Inuyasha certainly was when he was born. His mother though put his mind at ease when she explained that Maru was only this small because he was premature, it was nothing to worry about. Once he was sure his pup wouldn't stir Sesshoumaru changed into his night hakama and slid into bed next to his mate; in her unconscious state Kagome immediately turned and cuddled into the warmth of him. Sesshoumaru welcomed this as he buried his nose in her hair and inhaled her scent, this itself lulled him off to sleep...

It wasn't long though until he was awoken again. His son had woken up merely an hour or so after he was put to bed and was now crying, immediately assuming the worst Sesshoumaru shot up in the bed and was about to tend to his pup when Kagome placed her hand on his arm "It's alright Sessh" She yawned as she sat up "He's hungry that's all, get some more sleep" She then slid out of bed and walked over to the crib. Sesshoumaru lay back in the bed and watched intently as Kagome lifted their crying son into her arms and gently bounced up and down to calm him "Shh it's alright darling, mommy's here" His heart swelled when he heard that, it was such a wonderful sight to see her mothering their son.

Re-taking her place on the bed Kagome held Maru close to her with one arm and she used the other to untie her sleeping yukata. She then lifted Maru slightly where he then latched onto her breast and began to feed from her. Sesshoumaru watched on in utter curiosity as Maru sucked and sucked for his feed, he didn't know why but it was interesting to watch. Kagome noticed this and giggled.

"Don't get jealous now Sessh" Sesshoumaru looked up at her and smirked

"Do not fret mate, I am simply curious. How is it that you seem so accustomed to mothering our pup, this is your first time"

"I'm just following my instincts" She replied just as Maru pulled away from her and yawned. Kagome then quickly re-tied her yukata and went about burping her son, once that was done Kagome lulled Maru off to sleep and placed him back in the crib "Goodnight sweetheart" She then climbed back into bed and snuggled up to Sesshoumaru "I'm so happy and proud"

"As am I" He then tilted her chin up and kissed her softly on the lips...

Ah those had been the days, Maru had been pretty much quiet then. But then he had to grow up and Rin just had to introduce him to sugar. He was now just as hyper as both Rin and Shippo put together. Kagome didn't mind much, she loved having such a cheery son. Sesshoumaru wasn't really bothered either but the boy did tend to scream if he didn't get his way, Kagome had spoiled him a little too much so it was up to Sesshoumaru to scold his son. The boy was now roughly five winters old and was an absolute joy to have around the palace. He had even managed to seize his grandparents' fighting for good and they had began to court each other once again. Yes Maru was certainly a blessing; everyone loved him, even Jaken...sometimes.

Both parents were proud of their little son, he was very well behaved for his parents and was even polite to guests. Heck once Sesshoumaru and Inutaisho were having a meeting with a visiting Lord and they were debating over some sort of war. The Lord was apparently having trouble with another Lord and wanted Sesshoumaru and Inutaisho to intervene. The two had declined so the Lord had threatened to declare war on them if they didn't help. Just as he had said this Maru had entered wanting to be with his father, the Lord had immediately found the boy absolutely adorable and apologized to Sesshoumaru for threatening him. He then said that he and the other Lord would come to some sort of agreement and he would avoid war as much as possible. After he left Inutaisho confided in Sesshoumaru that if Maru hadn't been there just then they would be preparing for war. He suggested Maru should come to meetings more often

Sesshoumaru didn't mind letting the boy roam free around the palace either, he knew no one would dare to harm him nor did they have the desire to. Heck he even allowed Kouga to play with him when he visited every so often. Finally the wolf had gone to the mountains where Ayame and her grandfather ruled, though he didn't mate her. He wanted to have his freedom and knew he wouldn't get it with Ayame as his mate. Maru loved Kouga, he loved it when he would put him on his back and sprint through the palace, sure he threw up after it once but hey it was fun. Kagome though hadn't been amused and kneed the wolf in the groin. Inuyasha had found that immensely funny.

Now the hanyou was someone Sesshoumaru didn't approve Maru hanging out with. Inuyasha had a foul mouth on him and always cursed around the pup, Sesshoumaru just knew that one day the pup would pick up one of his habits and then he'd have to go kill his brother. Kagome however did allow Maru to be with Inuyasha as Sango was always with him, and she knew if Inuyasha cursed around her and Maru then Sango would undoubtedly beat Inuyasha. Maru himself though played with Rin and Shippo more so that put Sesshoumaru at ease. Miroku on the other hand, not so much. Sesshoumaru had recalled Kagome telling him that she had caught Miroku teaching the pup "10 rules to being a lecher" so then he had to go and talk some sense into the monk. Though he couldn't really complain, he'd rather have Miroku and Inuyasha teaching his son bad habits than Naraku having his dirty claws on him.

As of now it was night time and Kagome was settling Maru into his bed, she was reading the pup a bedtime story like she did every night before he went to sleep. Maru was under the covers listening intently to Kagome who was sitting at his bedside reading out loud and putting on funny voices for each different character in the book "And little red riding hood said 'oh grandma what big eyes you have' and the wolf said 'all the better to see you with my dear' and then little red looked at the wolf's teeth 'oh grandma what big teeth you have'" Kagome then cleared her throat and put on a small growl just as Sesshoumaru entered and sat opposite her "'all the better to eat you with my dear' the wolf then ripped off grandma's clothes and jumped at little red. She ran straight into the kitchen and screamed in fear. Luckily a woodcutter had heard her scream and ran to her aid. He saw the wolf lunge at her and managed to cut off his head before he could harm little red. Little red riding hood then found her grandma in the wardrobe and was happy to see she was alive. Everyone then lived happily ever after" Kagome then looked down at her son "So what did you think?"

"It was okay" He shrugged as he sat up "But why didn't the wolf just eat grandma instead of hiding her in the wardrobe and everyone knows that a girl can't ran faster than a wolf. Get real mommy"

"Hey it's only a story" She pouted playfully "And I loved it when I was your age, you're lucky Grandma Higurashi gave this to us" Upon hearing his grandmother's name Maru jumped up onto his feet and began jumping up and down in his dinosaur pyjamas that Kagome's mother had bought him

"I want to go see grandma soon, please please please mommy?" He pleaded as he continued jumping "I'll be a good boy"

"Alright" Kagome laughed "We'll visit her soon"

"Yay"

"Yes but you need to calm down Maru" Sesshoumaru added as he snaked his hands under his son's arms and lifted him as he stood. He then playfully threw him into the air and caught him with ease. Maru began giggling, he loved playing with his father

"Again again daddy" Maru beamed

"No more now" Sesshoumaru replied as he lay Maru down under the covers "It's time for bed"

"Will you tell me a bedtime story?"

"Your mother just did"

"But you tell better ones. Tell me the one when you blew that poison master pieces when you saved mommy; blood and guts everywhere" He laughed almost maliciously

"Blood and guts?" Kagome folded her arms and frowned at her mate

"Perhaps another night Maru" Sesshoumaru knew that look on his mate's face, he was close to not having any sex tonight

"No go on Sesshoumaru, let me hear these stories you've been telling our 5 year old"

"Tomorrow I shall" Sesshoumaru smirked "But now Maru needs his rest" He then leaned down and kissed Maru's forehead "Goodnight pup"

"Goodnight daddy" Maru yawned with a little stretch. Sesshoumaru then stood upright and smiled softly as Kagome leaned down and kissed Maru's cheek

"'night my little Prince"

"'night mommy"

"Sleep tight" Kagome then stood and the two headed to the bedroom door. She then blew out the candle as Sesshoumaru left the room. Kagome left the door open slightly as her son didn't like the dark. She and Sesshoumaru then retired to their bedroom

"I'm assuming we shall be travelling to your mother's tomorrow?" Sesshoumaru asked as he changed into his night hakama

"Not tomorrow" Kagome yawned as she changed into a short cream silk nightdress "And Sesshoumaru I don't really like you telling Maru stories of the past in that much detail. I don't want him having nightmares"

"He's a youkai Kagome, not much can scare my kind"

"Youkai or not he's still a child" Kagome sighed as she slid under the covers. Sesshoumaru joined her and lay down beside her

"I suppose" He mentally shrugged "I doubt they scare him though, he asks me to tell them to him"

"I guess" She then sighed "We've haven't had any time to ourselves in a while"

"I know what you mean" He smirked as he slithered his hand to rest on her thigh

"Hey" Kagome caught his hand "Behave yourself"

"Why?" Sesshoumaru leaned in and began to nip and kiss her neck "Maru's asleep so we don't have to worry about anything" He then managed to shuffle her hand off his as he slid it up her nightdress, he cupped her womanhood causing a moan to escape her

"I guess a quick round then" She then pushed his hand back and pulled down her underwear "But we have to stay dressed just in case the little devil runs in"

"As long as I get to see you in utter bliss I don't care if we did it on the roof"

"Oh" Kagome grinned evilly "That's rather a turn on"

"Now I know where to take you for our anniversary" He then climbed on top of her and claimed her lips. Kagome reached forward and freed his member to find him already hard, she smirked against his lips and parted her legs more. As soon as she did this Sesshoumaru thrust into her none too gently causing both of them to moan into their kiss. They hadn't made love in over a week, he so wanted to take her hard and fast. Kagome ripped her lips from him and gazed up into his lust filled gaze

"Sessh..." She breathed as he thrust into her "F-faster" Growling at how sexy she sounded Sesshoumaru began to pound into her but making sure not to hurt her, Kagome's moans began to get rather loud so Sesshoumaru had to claim her lips once again so that they didn't wake Maru "Hn" Her legs wrapped themselves around his waist as she attempted to meet his thrusts

"Ah" Sesshoumaru ripped his lips from hers as he panted for breath, he could feel his end nearing along with hers "Kag..."

"I'm...I'm..." Kagome almost whimpered

"I...know" He clenched his eyes shut and increased at an inhuman pace "Hn"

"Ah...Sessh" Kagome bit back a scream and her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she hit her climax. Her muscles began to clamp around Sesshoumaru resulting in him releasing into her. He collapsed on top of her but making sure not to crush her "That...was...amazing" She smiled with a small sigh. When Sesshoumaru gave a frustrated growl her smile turned into a frown "What's wrong?" He then abruptly pulled out of her and pulled his hakama back up

"Maru" Kagome immediately slipped her underwear back on just in time to see the bedroom door fly open as Maru scurried in

"Mommy daddy" He sniffled as he made his way over to the bed

"What's the matter baby?"

"I-I had a bad dream..."

"Awe what about?"

"That wolf came and ate me up"

"And you said my bedtime stories would scare him" Sesshoumaru smugly smirked "I await your apology"

"Shut it you" She snapped half-heartedly "Don't worry love, you're safe. No big bad wolf is coming to eat you, your daddy will scare him away. He's not real anyway love. And you love wolves, you enjoy playing with Kouga and his wolves don't you?"

"I guess" He whimpered

"The wolf wouldn't be foolish enough to eat you anyway" Sesshoumaru added "If I recall didn't the wolf eat a human? You're an inuyoukai. You have nothing to worry about"

"OH NO THE WOLF IS GONNA EAT MOMMY" He then began to cry. Kagome glared at Sesshoumaru and slapped his arm

"Nice one Sessh" Kagome then held Maru close and gently rubbed his back soothingly "He's not real baby, and daddy would kill him if he tried to get anywhere near us if he was. You have nothing to worry about"

"Really?" He sniffled as he looked up at her hopefully

"Really" Kagome smiled reassuringly "Now come on, it's time for you to go back to sleep"

"C-can I sleep with you?" He then moved his gaze to Sesshoumaru for an answer since he was the alpha of the family...well sometimes

"Yes" He sighed. He felt guilty for scaring him over Kagome "But you have to sleep, no on going talking"

"Thanks daddy" Maru then dived onto his father and kissed his cheek

"Alright" Sesshoumaru mused as his son then lay down in between himself and Kagome. His eyes closed and he immediately fell asleep "Just like his mother"

"Shut up" She poked her tongue out at him and cuddled down into the bed "I wonder where he gets his fear of bedtime stories from, he certainly doesn't get it from me"

"Are you suggesting that he gets his fear of fictional characters through me?" He raised a brow

"Well..." She laughed "I'm just saying that I loved stories at his age"

"Hn, well Kagome he didn't get it from me as my parents never read me any stories as a pup"

"Remind me to give your parents some parenting skills" She then leaned over to Sesshoumaru being careful not to touch Maru and kissed him softly on the lips "By the way you were great"

"Aren't I always?" Sesshoumaru smirked. Kagome rolled her eyes and lay back down beside him

"Goodnight Sessh" She yawned as she pulled the covers over her shoulders and drifted off to sleep

"Goodnight" Sesshoumaru then followed suit but not without wrapping a protective arm around his pup...

The next morning Sesshoumaru was rudely awoken by his son jumping up and down on his bed "Daddy wake up, daddy wake up" He laughed and jumped harder in an attempt to wake his father

"What pup?" Sesshoumaru almost growled as he looked up at his giggling pup through half lidded eyes

"Let's go play"

"Has the sun actually risen?"

"Yep, for a while now" Sesshoumaru groaned and turned on his back, Maru took this as an opportunity and sat on his chest "Please daddy?"

"Hn" He yawned "Where's your mother?"

"She's helping uncle Inuyasha find some book in the library"

"What type of book?"

"I dunno" Maru shrugged cutely "Mommy said to come play with you"

"And what exactly do you want to play?" Sesshoumaru was dreading the answer

"Hmm" Maru sat cross legged on his father's chest as he looked up with his finger on his chin, he looked adorable "Can you teach me how to use a sword?"

"You're too young" He replied as he pulled Maru down to lay on his chest "Your mother would have my head" He then sat up and allowed his pup to sit comfortably in his lap with his back against him, Maru lay his head back against Sesshoumaru's bare chest and pouted

"Mommy never lets me have any fun" He folded his little arms "Can I throw a dagger at Inuyasha like you did last week?"

"Your mother is going shopping with Sango tomorrow, we shall do it then"

"Argh" He sighed frustrated "I'm so bored"

"Why don't you go play with Yukiko?" Sesshoumaru asked as he absently ran his claws through his pup's hair

"Because auntie Sango said I can't play rough with her"

"No Maru, what Sango meant was that you couldn't go flinging your cousin around the place like you do with Jaken, she may be a hanyou but she's more human than youkai"

"That's it" Maru then beamed completely ignoring his father "Can we go beat up Jaken?"

"You can by all means, I have some paper work to attend to and we're having the Northern Lord and Lady visiting today. I shall be rather busy"

"Fine" He huffed "What's granddad doing today?"

"He's most probably still asleep" An evil plan then formed in Sesshoumaru's head, the Prince smirked slightly as he leaned down to his son's ear "Maru, why don't you go and wake your grandfather? We can all then go to breakfast and I'm sure he has all the time in the world to play with you"

"Sure thing" Maru then dived off the bed and straight out the bedroom door. Sesshoumaru almost snickered to himself, his son could be a great weapon against his incredibly lazy father. Smirking to himself Sesshoumaru slid out of bed and changed into his usual attire. As he did so he heard a loud thump and his son's giggle. He then heard an annoyed growl just as Maru ran straight back into the bedroom, he was huffing and puffing whilst pouting

"What's wrong?" Sesshoumaru lifted Maru into his arms and rested him on his hip

"I went and woke granddad like you said but he ended up falling out of bed" Sesshoumaru inwardly grinned at this "He then started growling so I came back here, he's going to shout at me now"

"He won't, I'll see to it that he doesn't" He then hooked both his swords to his hip with his free hand – ever since Maru's birth Sesshoumaru kept his blades close – and headed to leave the bedroom. He was then about to head to his pup's room when he heard his father calling his name

"Sesshoumaru" The Prince turned to meet his father's pissed off gaze

"Father" Sesshoumaru acknowledged with a nod "Is there a problem?" Seeing Inutaisho's face Maru buried his face in his father's neck

"You're so incredibly ruthless, I was sleeping peacefully until you sent Maru in"

"Well father the sun has risen, I doubt mother would approve to find you still in bed. Both Maru and I have just done you a favour"

"Hn" Inutaisho huffed, he'd lost this battle

"Now if you don't need me I shall be changing my son" Sesshoumaru then headed down the hallway to his son's room but stopped when he remembered something "Oh and father" He turned his head to glare at his father "Don't growl at my pup again" And with that Sesshoumaru carried Maru into the nursery and set him down on the bed

"Is granddad angry at me?" Maru's bottom lip stuck out as he quivered slightly

"No, he's just getting old and grouchy" Sesshoumaru then moved to Maru's wardrobe and pulled out a plain white hakama with a matching haori with a bright blue obi, he then set them down on the bed and went about dressing his son...

Kagome and Inuyasha were currently in the library looking for the desired book Inuyasha was adamant on finding. Kagome didn't know why he wanted the damned book anyway, she couldn't imagine Inuyasha actually using it and it couldn't possibly be a gift for Sango. One look at the thing and she'd smash him with it. "Inuyasha is it so important? I can't believe you actually dragged me out of bed this morning to find it. I haven't even seen Sesshoumaru yet"

"What are ya talking about? Of course you've seen him, he was lying right there this morning" Inuyasha snorted as he climbed up a book case "And yes it is important"

"But why would you want it? I mean it's not like you'd read or use it"

"I'm getting it for Sango"

"If Sango saw it she'd beat you with it Yash" Kagome rolled her eyes, she'd given up the search and was currently laying on one of the many couches in the library

"I'm not getting it so she can use it" He huffed

"Oh I get it" She then started laughed "So that's why you're after '10 top easy tips for creating a fancy meal in 15 minutes'"

"Exactly, I can't cook so this should help. Our anniversary is coming up and I want to do something nice for her"

"Inuyasha I doubt she'd appreciate food poisoning" Kagome mused "Why don't you just get her some flowers or even a jewellery box?"

"I guess you're right" The hanyou huffed as he jumped down from the book case "I just wanted to do something for her, ever since Yukiko was born we haven't had any time to ourselves and she hasn't really had any chance of relaxing"

"When was the last time you two had sex?" Kagome asked casually causing Inuyasha to blush

"Two months ago" He blushed even redder "What about you and Sesshoumaru?" He asked trying to hide his embarrassment

"Last night" She then sighed "Good thing he's an inuyoukai, just as we finished up Sesshoumaru sensed Maru coming"

"This can't be healthy" He groaned as he fell onto the couch "We're gonna have to work something out"

"Well how about twice a week we babysit each other's kids, I'll have Yukiko one night so you and Sango can have some time together and then another night you two can have Maru for me and Sessh" Kagome offered

"Yeah I can work with that, but Sango and I are going first"

"Okay" Kagome shrugged "It's only fair since Sessh and I had our fun last night" She then stood and stretched "Well I'm gonna go find my mate and son, catch ya later Yash"

"Sure" He yawned as he sprawled out on the couch "If Sango asks where I am tell her I've gone hunting, I don't want her knowing that I'm going to get something for our anniversary" Kagome nodded and left.

Maru giggled like the child he was as he ran down the stairs with his father following closely behind, he loved having breakfast. It was one of the only times where he could see all his relatives at the same time. "Come on daddy keep up"

"There's no need to rush" Sesshoumaru smirked at his pup's enthusiasm "And don't run too fast, you're going to fall" Maru was about to listen to his father's words but then he caught sight of Kagome leaving the library "MOMMY" Immediately Maru sprinted down the rest of the stairs and straight to his mother. Kagome was almost knocked off her feet when Maru pounced on her, she laughed it off and lifted him into her arms

"Good morning my little darling" She kissed his cheek and cuddled him "Have you been a good boy for daddy?"

"Yep" He beamed as he nuzzled his mother's cheek "I woke daddy up like you said and then daddy told me to go wake granddad but he wasn't very happy when I did but then daddy shouted at him for growling at me"

"Granddad growled at you?" Kagome frowned slightly "I'll get him later for that"

"I have already warned him mate" Sesshoumaru mused as he made his way to her and kissed her cheek "He knows not to do it again" He then wrapped his arm around her waist "What were you and Inuyasha doing in the library?"

"Looking for a book for Sango but it was futile, Inuyasha wanted to do something for their anniversary"

"I see but why did he require your assistance?"

"Company most probably" Kagome rolled her eyes "Don't tell me you're suspicious of something"

"No, of course not. I trust both you and Inuyasha, I was just simply curious" He then pecked her lips "Now come, I believe breakfast is served"

"I'm so hungry I could eat Jaken" Maru laughed

"Don't be silly Maru" Kagome mused "You don't know where he's been" The family then made their way to the dining room where everybody besides Inuyasha and Inutaisho were awaiting them "Morning guys"

"Good morning Kags" Sango called with a smile as she bounced Yukiko in her lap

"Hello aunt Kagome" Yukiko beamed, she loved her auntie. Yukiko was an image of her parents. She had Sango's brown/black hair but with Inuyasha's puppy ears, she also had his amber eyes but was more of her mother's skin shade. She was indeed a beauty

"How's my number one girl?" Kagome winked as she, Sesshoumaru and Maru made their way over to their seats

"I'm good thanks" She grinned, she was only three years old and was the most cutest thing ever...besides Maru.

"Have you seen Inuyasha?" Sango asked after her family took their seats

"I think he's gone hunting" Kagome shrugged as she seated Maru in her lap "You know what he's like"

"Yes unfortunately" The demon slayer sighed "He can't keep running off, he has a daughter now. I need help raising her"

"You honestly want Inuyasha to help you raise Yukiko?" Jen raised a brow

"Of course, why would you even ask that?"

"Why would she ask that? Sango if Inuyasha helped to raise Yukiko all she would do is curse and grunt" Sesshoumaru smirked "You can't possibly have her picking up her father's bad habits"

"Awe Sessh cut him some slack" Sango laughed "Inuyasha is as good as gold with Yukiko, he's never cursed around her"

"Inuyasha is far too protective of her" Miroku huffed "I can't even go near her without having you or him around"

"Well you are a lecher" Jen mused as she sipped her tea

"So? I'd never do anything to her...yet" Just as he said this he received a whack on the back of his head

"Monk you shall never do anything with my granddaughter" Inutaisho stated in an icy tone as he entered the dining room "Have I made myself clear?" Miroku gulped and nodded. The King then took his place in between his eldest and Jen and breakfast was served

"Yum" Maru grinned as he reached out for his food

"Don't get it all down you" Kagome warned as she took in a mouthful of rice "Sessh you should not have dressed him in white"

"It is not my fault he has picked up your eating habits" Sesshoumaru mused "Perhaps you should set a better example and eat with your mouth shut"

"I will as soon as you get that stick out of your ass" She poked her tongue out at him and then turned to Inutaisho "And if I hear that you've growled at Maru again I'll castrate you"

"Uh..." Inutaisho gulped, Kagome could be ruthless when she wanted to be "Would it help if I said I'm sorry?"

"A little" She mused as she turned back to finish her breakfast. Everyone then followed suit with some small talk here and there...

After breakfast the busy day began. Inutaisho was called out to inspect an attacked village in his lands; Jen, Sango and Yukiko went shopping; Miroku and Shippo went about training in the dojo; Sesshoumaru had to lock himself away in his study where he then had a meeting with the Northern lord and lady; Kagome and Rin were helping the servants re-plant flowers in the gardens and Inuyasha had yet to return. This left a very bored and annoyed Maru to play all by himself. "What to do..." Maru wandered around the palace looking for something decent to do or to find someone to play with, he could usually find some servant to play with him but they all seemed far too busy today. He couldn't even annoy Jaken because the imp was away on an errand "I wish Kouga was here" He huffed as he wandered over to the palace entrance where the head guard Monomaru was posted at. The guard looked down at the little Prince and chuckled, the child was far too cute and to find him pouting made him all the more cuter

"What is the matter your highness? You seem a little down"

"Everyone is busy, I have no one to play with" Maru huffed as he folded his arms

"I'm sure there'll be someone for you to play with soon" Monomaru reassured "Why don't you go and play with all the toys your mother has got you until then?"

"That's a great idea" The pup chirped up "I completely forgot about all of those, thanks Monomaru. You're the best" And with that Maru raced upstairs to his room

"Pups" Monomaru laughed as he continued keeping guard...

Meanwhile Sesshoumaru was in his study catching up on more work, he had just finished his meeting with the Northern lord and lady and all was well. He wished they would have concentrated during their meeting though, all they did was to ask if they could see his pup. As a protective parent and being the possessive dog he was he continued to decline, he didn't like many people coddling his pup especially ones he hardly knew.

Sighing softly Sesshoumaru continued on going through land treaties whilst wishing that the pile of papers would just disappear. He just wanted to leave and spend time with his mate and pup, he hadn't seen them since breakfast and it was already lunchtime. Too bad he wouldn't be able to join them for that since he was too caught up in his work. Just as he was about to fling all the papers out the window and walk away discreetly Kagome entered with a tray of tea "Hello darling" She smiled her cheery infamous smile as she set the tray down on a small coffee table by the window "How was the meeting?"

"Sufficient enough though I did not appreciate the fact that they kept requesting to see the pup" Kagome went up behind him and began to massage his shoulders

"Can you blame them? Maru is pleasure to be around, he is also the most adorable boy ever" She leaned forward and kissed his cheek "I haven't seen him all day, I've been helping the servants in the garden so I've been too busy to play with him. I feel a little guilty now"

"You can't be playing with him all the time Kagome, we can't have him being spoilt"

"He already is" She mused as she continued massaging him "Gee Sessh you are really tense"

"Hn, can you blame me?" Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and enjoyed his mate's hands on his shoulders "Do you know where Maru is now?"

"Monomaru said he's in his room playing with his toys, do you want me to go fetch him?"

"In a moment, you and I haven't had much time alone in a little while"

"Tell me about it" She then leaned forward and tilted Sesshoumaru's head so that their eyes met "You haven't given me a proper kiss today"

"My apologies" He smirked as he gently pulled her down and claimed her lips

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" Immediately the couple broke away and Sesshoumaru stood

"That's Maru" Kagome gasped. They both then dived from the study and ran straight to their pup's room

"Damn it" Sesshoumaru growled as the scent of his son's blood hit his nose, he immediately ran faster and sprinted straight into Maru's room. There he found the window smashed, droplets of blood on the floor and a little girl in white whom Sesshoumaru had never seen before "Are you a youkai? Where is my son?" Kagome ran in behind him and gasped

"No...Kanna"

"You know this child?" Sesshoumaru gruffly asked

"She's Naraku's incarnation" Kanna stepped forward with the mirror she always carried

"Naraku has taken your son away for the ritual, if you try to interfere then death shall befall the half breed girl" She then held her mirror to them to reveal Yukiko screaming and crying in a dark gloomy place

"You vermin" Sesshoumaru growled as he flexed his claws "I'll just hold you hostage until Naraku returns them both"

"Naraku does not care for me and he will kill anyone who gets in his way. Now that he possesses the Shikon no Tama no one can stop him" Kanna explained in her ghostly voice "Kagura tried to stop him by running to you to tell you Naraku's plans...he killed her before she reached the Western borders" And with that Kanna disappeared

"Sesshoumaru" Kagome breathed as tears streamed down her cheeks "What will we do?" Sesshoumaru pulled his crying mate into his arms and rubbed her back soothingly

"We're going to end his pathetic life, he's not the only one whose grown stronger in the past 5 years" The sound of the doors smashing open downstairs caught their attention as they heard their brother's shouts

"Inuyasha..." Kagome cried "He doesn't know about Yukiko"

"I shall tell him" Sesshoumaru then broke away from his mate and made his way to his brother. He clenched his fists as he mentally heard his son's screams _'I'm sorry, I broke my promise...'_

**Well what did ya think?**

**I'm so so so sorry it took so long**

**Please forgive me**

**Hugs?**

**Reviews please :)**

**Inuyashasesshy4eva**

**xXx**


	25. The Ritual

Chapter Twenty Five – The Ritual

Naraku carried Maru by the scruff through his new lair and to the dungeons, the pup was continually squirming and shouting. No doubt he got those traits from the damned miko "Cease your movements immediately brat or I shall ripped your limbs from your body"

"Let me go! I want to go back to mommy and daddy, I don't want to be here with you!"

"You have no choice in this matter brat, you shall never see your parents again. The last thing you will ever see is the realm of hell swallowing you up" Maru shuddered at his icy tone

"My daddy will kill you for kidnapping me"

"If your father is smart he will stay away from here, if he tries to interfere the girl will die"

"Girl?" Naraku then opened the prison door and threw Maru down onto the cold hard floor, the sounds of whimpering filled the room causing Maru to look up. He gasped in shock when he found his little cousin cowering in the far corner of the dungeon, she had been badly beaten and the scent of her blood was thick in the air "Yukiko!" Maru pulled himself to his feet and ran over to her, he held her close to his small person and glared up at Naraku "How could you be so mean? She's only a girl, hitting a girl is low"

"Just be grateful I need your blood" Naraku then smirked "If I didn't you would be in the same condition as her. Now you two play nicely until I need you" And with that the dark hanyou left them alone in the dark and gloomy prison

"M-Maru" Yukiko weakly looked up at her cousin "W-where's my daddy?"

"I...I don't know" He gave her a small squeeze and cuddled closer to her "But I bet he and my daddy are on their way to save us right now"

"I want to go home" She cried "I want my mommy"

"So do I" Maru whispered as tears began to stream down his own eyes...

"SESSHOUMARU" Inuyasha shouted as he ran around frantically "KAGOME, WHERE ARE YOU?!"

"Here Inuyasha" The hanyou followed his brother's voice to find him standing at the top of the stairs with Kagome at his side. Tears were streaming down Kagome's cheeks whilst Sesshoumaru's eyes held sorrow

"I picked up Naraku's scent and came straight back here, I also smelt Maru's blood. Please tell me the pup's still here"

"I wish we could" Kagome whimpered

"Inuyasha there is something else" They both descended the stairs and neared the hanyou "It's about Yukiko"

"What about her? Where is she? Where's Sango?"

"They went shopping with Jen. Sango hasn't returned yet"

"Naraku has taken Yukiko too" Sesshoumaru explained as he reached out and caught Inuyasha's shoulder, the hanyou's eyes flared up in a deep crimson as he growled "Calm yourself little brother, if you transform now we won't be able to plan out a strategy"

"Why would he take her?!" He took a deep breath and let his eyes return to their normal golden shade "Naraku doesn't need her"

"Kanna came and told us that he's taken her so that we won't try to save Maru, if we dare try anything he'll kill her" Kagome breathed as fresh tears began to fall from her eyes "I want my baby back" She began to rub her shoulders as she bowed her head "I want him, I want to hold him in my arms

"I'm sorry Kagome" Sesshoumaru pulled his mate into his arms and kissed her brow "I promised both you and Maru that I would protect him, I failed you both"

"Keh" Inuyasha snorted "Sounds like you've already given up" Sesshoumaru moved his gaze to his brother and frowned "You haven't failed anyone yet Sessh, if we all work together we can bring both our children back home"

"You're right. At some point Naraku will need to return here to perform the ritual, we need to be ready to strike him down"

"How can we? He has the complete Shikon no Tama" Kagome cried

"I will not allow a damned jewel get in the way of our son and niece" Sesshoumaru stated "Inuyasha we need to attack him with both Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga, that should be enough to bring him to his knees. Kagome can then purify him with his arrows" Just as he said this Sango and Jen dived through the entrance doors huffing and puffing

"Inuyasha" A crying Sango ran into her lover's arms "Naraku...Yukiko..."

"Shh I know" He kissed her lips "Sesshoumaru and I will bring them back"

"Them?"

"He has Maru too"

"I feared that" Jen sighed "I shall be accompanying you in this battle, I shall send the monster to hell along with the jewel"

"No, the jewel must be purified from this world" Kagome stepped in with determination written all over her features "Naraku will pay for taking my only child from me" Miroku, Shippo and Rin then entered in total bewilderment

"What's wrong?" Miroku asked "I see pain in all of your eyes"

"Naraku's back" Inuyasha replied "He's kidnapped both Maru and Yukiko"

"No..." Rin and Shippo gasped

"Now that Naraku has Maru he won't wait around, he will open the hell-mouth as soon as he can. He will most probably be here by sunset, we need to be ready"

"We also need your father" Jen stated "Go get him Sesshoumaru"

"I need to be here to fight"

"We cannot defeat Naraku without your father's aid. Sesshoumaru, you're faster than all of us. We can hold Naraku back until you arrive, now go!" Reluctantly Sesshoumaru agreed and left without another word "Kagome, Sango go arm yourselves; Miroku got get AhUn and Kirara; Rin, Shippo I do not want you two in this fight, take Kirara and head to Totosai's; Inuyasha go gather all the guards and tell them of our plans. I shall place a barrier around the seal, it won't stop Naraku for long but it will hopefully prevent him from using it until Sesshoumaru and Inutaisho arrive. This will take up most of my power so it is highly doubtful that I shall be able to fight after" With a nod everyone then went about and did what was ordered.

Inutaisho was annoyed he had been called from his home to inspect a so-called attacked village, they had a rat infestation for crying out loud. Since he was here he thought he had might as well pop in and check on the old sword smith Totosai, it wasn't as if he was in a rush to get home. Sighing to himself the King of Japan landed in the cave that belonged to his old friend and looked around "Totosai where are you hiding at?"

"Oh it is you King Inutaisho" Totosai sighed in relief as he jumped from his hiding place "I'm sorry I thought it was your eldest, the last time I saw him he was demanding that I forge him a new sword. I must say you have two ungrateful sons"

"I assure you they have changed a great deal since you last set your eyes on them. They even have pups now"

"Oh that I know" The old man replied as he set himself on a boulder "Kagome and Sango have visited me on a few occasions to sharpen some of their weapons, they have brought the pups with them on every trip. I must say Maru and Yukiko are far too adorable for their own good, they will most definitely break some hearts when they are older"

"I know, I am truly blessed to have such beautiful grandchildren" Inutaisho smiled "How have things been since my last visit?"

"That was a long time ago my lord" Totosai chuckled "Nearly five years to be exact, but all is well"

"Good to hear. Have you completed it?"

"Yes, has your son forgiven you for knocking his fangs out yet?"

"I doubt it" He mused "Though he'll be grateful when he sees what they were used for"

"Here's hoping" Suddenly a bright ball flew straight at them and landed mere inches away from them, the light vanished to reveal Sesshoumaru "Oh no" Totosai fell from his seat and hit behind it "Not him"

"Sesshoumaru?" Inutaisho looked into his son's eyes "What's wrong my boy?"

"I need you back at the palace now, Maru and Yukiko are gone"

"Gone? What do you mean they're gone?"

"Naraku has kidnapped them both" The Prince stated

"What...how?"

"I don't know. We need you. Inuyasha and I cannot defeat Naraku alone"

"Do not worry Sesshoumaru, I shall aid you through this" Inutaisho reassured "And we shall win"

"Then we must leave immediately" Sesshoumaru turned to leave but Inutaisho caught his arm and pulled him back "What..."

"Before we leave I have something to bestow you with" Inutaisho then moved his gaze to Totosai "Could you get it?"

"Are you sure he is ready my lord?" Totosai asked as he stood from his hiding place

"Most definitely" He then pulled Sesshoumaru further into the cave "This shall help you destroy Naraku, it is my gift to you" Totosai then went into another room and began to rummage through his things

"What are bestowing me with?"

"Patience Sesshoumaru, you shall have it now"

"Could this not wait father? I want to get back to my family. I want to have my son back" Sesshoumaru asked

"My my your father's right" Totosai smirked as he re-entered the room holding something covered under some red silk "You have most definitely changed since the last time I saw you. You are no longer a cold, arrogant, power seeking daiyoukai" Sesshoumaru then narrowed his eyes "Calm down, it was supposed to be a compliment"

"Do not worry Totosai, Sesshoumaru won't harm you" Inutaisho then took the object from Totosai's hands and pulled the fabric from it "You will find this is far more powerful than Tokijen" Sesshoumaru's eyes widened as he looked down at the beautiful fang in his father's hands "This sword is all yours, it is even forged from your fangs. It is far more powerful than any of your blades, it rivals that of Tetsusaiga"

"Fantastic" Sesshoumaru took the blade from his father and swung it to get the hang of it "If I use this and Inuyasha uses Tetsusaiga then Naraku will most definitely die"

"That's it? You're not even interested in how powerful it can make you?" Totosai asked in shock

"Like I said Totosai, he's changed" Inutaisho smiled

"As long as it saves my family I could care less, though" Sesshoumaru then paused "If this sword fails me I shall run you through with it"

"He hasn't changed that much" He muttered under his breath

"This sword is called Bakusaiga, it is yours and yours alone" Inutaisho explained

"Thank you father" Sesshoumaru then slotted the sword – along with its sheath – into his sash "We should leave"

"Agreed" Inutaisho nodded "Until next time Totosai" And with that Sesshoumaru and Inutaisho left the cave and made their way back to the palace.

Maru held his still crying cousin close in his arms, he was so afraid but he refused to show it. He wanted to be big and brave like his father and grandfather; his father wasn't afraid of anything, neither was his grandfather...well except of his grandmother. The pup didn't want to scare Yukiko either, if she could scent his fear then she would most definitely be even more hysterical than she already was. Luckily for him she was mostly human so her sense of smell wasn't that strong. Looking up through the barred window Maru shuddered, it was already sunset. They had been locked in that disgusting dungeon for six hours, they were both very hungry and very tired.

Just as he was about to nod off the prison door gently opened to reveal a youkai dressed in various colours of blue with long black hair tied into a high ponytail and deep blue eyes, he had a white sword tied to his back with a red gem at the hilt "Ah so you must be Prince Maru and Princess Yukiko. Well aren't you two the most adorable things" He smirked "How about we go on a little trip?" Yukiko whimpered and gripped onto Maru

"Who are you?" Maru growled

"Oh please forgive me, my name's Byakuya. I am one of Naraku's incarnations" He then took a step forward "Now come along children, Naraku and myself shall be taking you home"

"Really?" Yukiko timidly asked "Can I see my mommy?"

"Of course little one"

"You're lying" Maru shouted as he stood up in front of his cousin

"I'm not" He then smirked "You two shall see your parents but that will be about it, especially for you Maru"

"W-what do you mean?"

"You're going to die today"

Back at the palace everyone was in position and were awaiting both Naraku and Sesshoumaru to show their faces, Kagome prayed her lover would be the first to return. She didn't want to face Naraku without him, she needed him by her side. Sure she had her friends and family but that Sesshoumaru was her rock, her strength, the secret to her power. Inuyasha sensed her uneasiness and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder "Don't worry Kags, we'll get them back"

"Here's hoping" She whispered. She then took a deep breath and notched her quiver in her bow from her hiding place, she then aimed it at the sky ready just in case Naraku made an early appearance. _'Please hurry Sesshoumaru, I can't do this without you' _

"He's here" Inuyasha breathed as he quietly unsheathed his sword

"Sesshoumaru?"

"Naraku" He spat

"Just remember to stay where you are until I give the signal" Jen warned as she held her invisible barrier "If you move to early it will ruin everything" A swirl of miasma then circled the air, Naraku and his accomplice was standing in the middle of it. Naraku had Maru under his arm who was covering his poor sensitive nose whilst Yukiko did the same in the other's arms

"My baby" Sango gasped. Inuyasha was about to charge out at the sight of his daughter's distress and condition but Miroku grasped his arm and pulled him back

"Remember the plan Inuyasha, if you move now Naraku will sense us and will kill Yukiko"

"Damn" Inuyasha muttered under his breath as he restrained himself "What has that bastard done to her?!"

"And who the hell is holding our little girl?" Sango almost growled as she got her giant boomerang at the ready

Naraku and Byakuya landed with ease in front of the hell-mouth and looked around for any possible nuisances "It seems they are not as stupid as you made them out to be Naraku. They have also seemed to have abandoned their only children, perhaps they are cowards"

"Don't get your hopes up Byakuya, Sesshoumaru wouldn't let an opportunity like this pass. He wants to kill me so badly and he's a dog, that makes him possessive of things he owns. He'll come mark my words. Make sure you have that blade ready at that girl's throat. I can't wait to see the look on Inuyasha's face when you slit his only daughter's throat" At this Yukiko shrieked in horror causing Maru's protective nature to take over as he growled threateningly at Naraku "Hush brat!" He then backhanded the pup causing him to cry out in pain.

Kagome saw the abuse Naraku had given her son and clenched her fists, oh how she wanted to shoot the asshole. What made it even more painful was Maru's cry, it ripped at her heart. Naraku would pay for this in the most painful way possible. Jen saw the fire in Kagome's eyes and quietly called to her "Kagome please keep yourself in check"

"I am" She unintentionally spat

"Keep it that way. As soon as they land shoot Naraku's vassal so that he drops Yukiko, Inuyasha can then get to her and then we can save Maru" Kagome nodded and turned her attention back to the enemy.

"Something doesn't seem right" Byakuya said more to himself as he took in the area "It seems too quiet" They slowly began to descend to the ground keeping an eye out for any interferences

"You're right, stay on your guard" Naraku ordered. The two then landed in front of the seal with the children still in their grasp and scanned their surroundings "We must hurry" Naraku then moved closer to the seal and pulled out a dagger "Sesshoumaru will likely show up any minute now" He was about to step on the hell-mouth itself when he was suddenly pushed back "What the hell?!" A sacred arrow then shot out of nowhere and hit Byakuya directly in the head, he screamed in agony and grasped the arrow causing Yukiko to slip and fall to the ground.

"Yukiko" Inuyasha called as he dived from his hiding place and straight to his daughter, he swept her into his arm whilst aiming Tetsusaiga at Byakuya "Let me guess you're one of _his _incarnations" Kagome and the rest then ran out and armed themselves

"Why yes I am" Byakuya smirked as he snapped the arrow that was now in his arms "My name's Byakuya of the heavens" He then turned his gaze to Kagome "A simple sacred arrow will not harm me for long miko, especially from one such as weak as you"

"Does it matter?" Kagome frowned "You've still lost your hostage"

"That may be so but we still have your son" He grinned as he unsheathed his blade "Don't worry though miko, you two will be reunited in hell" He then jumped into the air and went straight for her, Inuyasha tried to run to his sister's aid but Byakuya was too fast.

"KAGOME" Everyone shouted in fear just as the incarnation brought his blade down on the black haired beauty but instead of hearing blade meeting her flesh they heard blade meeting blade. They look to their friend to find her holding her own sword against his

"I will not die so easily" She snapped as she pushed him back "I'm not the same as I was five years ago, you're not the only one who has changed Naraku" Naraku watched Kagome in curiosity, it was true the girl had grown in strength but she would never match his alone. The dark hanyou simply laughed at her words

"Foolish wench, no matter how hard you train you'll never match my strength" He then lifted his hand and sent an attack in her direction, strangely it missed her completely. Kagome looked at the smug smirk on his face in confusion, well that was until...

"JEN" She shot back at Sango's screech to find her mother-in-law laying unconscious on the ground "Kagome the barrier..." Kagome turned back to Naraku just as he stepped onto the seal with her precious son in his hold

"Let him go Naraku" She lifted her blade to attack him but it was knocked away by Byakuya who she hadn't been concentrating on, her sword collided with Miroku's shoulder causing him to collapse to the floor screaming in agony "No, Miroku are you...?"

"I'm fine" He winced "Just take Naraku down, you'll have to do it without me"

"It seems you're losing your comrades one by one" Byakuya laughed as he lifted his sword to a now defenceless Kagome

"Stay the hell away from her!!!" Inuyasha growled as Sango took Yukiko into her arms "I'll kill you!"

"You won't get to me in time" He laughed as he raised his blade

"Hey!" Byakuya turned to the offending voice only to be greeted with a fist colliding with his face, he flew onto his back and looked up at his attacker. There stood Sesshoumaru with his arm wrapped protectively around his mate's waist whilst all his men stood behind him armed "Vermin" He growled just as Inutaisho landed beside Jen and inspected her

"Ah Prince Sesshoumaru, it's nice to know you've shown your face at last" Naraku smirked as he raised his dagger to Maru "You're just in time to see your son's end"

"DADDY" Maru's fear finally got the best of him as he looked at his father "SAVE ME" The pup squirmed so much that Naraku missed his throat and ended up slitting the boy's cheek, suddenly a jolt of purification power shot from Maru and hit Naraku. The dark hanyou dropped the child to the ground and he screamed in agony. Maru's face collided with the seal causing his blood to sink into it.

Crimson lights shot up from the seal causing the sky to darken into the same shade, Maru pulled himself to his knees to take in the new surroundings when the seal began to jolt open "Ah" The pup tried to keep his balance but it was useless, he clenched his hands together to protect something that was even unknown to him. He looked through the slits of the opening seal and gasped in horror as he saw a dark, dreary and dismal world that was about to swallow him hole, creatures from that world spat and clawed up to him but couldn't quite reach the top yet. The seal opened even more causing Maru to cry out for help, Sesshoumaru tried to get to his son but a demonic barrier had prevented him from passing "HELP ME" His son screamed.

Kagome couldn't take it any more, willing her powers to aid her she dived straight through the barrier and caught her son in her arms just as the hell-mouth opened further and dragged them down to hell itself "KAGOME!" Sesshoumaru shouted after her as hers and Maru's screams hit his ears...

**Here's another chapter people :)**

**I think I'm getting better with my updating**

**I'm trying to finish this story before next Saturday as that date is my birthday and I won't have much time between then and now since I have mock exams, wish me luck**

**Reviews please :)**

**Inuyashasesshy4eva**


	26. Finale

Chapter Twenty Six – Finale

Sesshoumaru watched in horror as the hell mouth swallowed his family whole and sealed up until another child of his bloodline was born "No..." The demonic barrier dispersed as the Prince collapsed to his knees and ran his finger's over the seal's inscriptions

"I assume you wish to be the third to die Sesshoumaru" Naraku laughed from where he stood "That seal will re-open soon and shall bring out all the gods of hell, as soon as they see you they'll cut you down. I guess that doesn't sound that bad, you'll be reunited with your _dead _mate and _dead _son"

"Shut the hell up!" Inutaisho growled as he held his mate in his arms "You shall die for your treachery"

"Heh, your words mean nothing. I am the new god of this era, I shall control the beings of the nether world. You and your pathetic family will be the first that they'll feast upon" Jen stirred in her mate's arms as she pulled her self back to consciousness, she weakly took in her surroundings when she scented her son's pain and sorrow. Her eyes immediately darted to his kneeled form and frowned

"What's happened? Where's Kagome?" She pulled herself from her mate's hold and stood on her own weakened legs

"She's dead my lady" Naraku smirked "And so is your precious grandson, they have been dragged into the hell mouth where they will be tortured for an eternity"

"No..." She looked to Inutaisho "Please tell me he's lying"

"I wish I could" He confirmed "They are no longer of this world"

"NO! You monster!" Jen screamed "She was only a human woman and he was only a pup, only five summers old" Tears began to stream down her cheeks "You're the one who should be burning in hell, not them!"

"You can join them if you miss them that much, your son will be with them soon enough" The dark hanyou snickered "As soon as the sun rises and the sacrifice...or sorry...sacrifices have been engulfed then the hell mouth shall open and shall consume this world"

"You're so deranged Naraku" Inuyasha snapped "Do you honestly believe that you can control the gods of the underworld? They will kill you just as they will us"

"The Shikon no Tama will see to it that I am the most powerful and strongest, not even a god can withstand my power" Naraku proclaimed with Byakuya standing proudly beside him "Though I will show you some mercy, I shall allow your daughter to survive, I shall raise her as my own and she shall help me rule over the new world" A snicker was then heard

"Heh" Sesshoumaru rose to his feet and moved his unforgiving, cold and deadly gaze to Naraku's crimson ones "I don't care if you have the completed Shikon no Tama in your grasp, you are still a coward of whom I will gladly kill. At the end of the day the Shikon no Tama is just another piece of jewellery. If I must I shall shatter the thing so it divides over my kingdom once again. No matter the outcome today you shall die, I will take your life just as you have taken my family's" He then unsheathed Bakusaiga and pointed it at Naraku "Die Naraku!" And with that he dived forward and attacked his most hated enemy.

Fire. It was everywhere. It was too much. The heat was overwhelming, how could anybody live in this? This definitely was the fires of hell!

Kagome winced as she slowly opened her eyes, nothing soft had cushioned her fall but how was she possibly alive? The seal was so far up, it was the equivalent to her falling from a sky scraper. You just don't survive something like that. Looking down at the bundle in her arms she sighed, thank goodness he was safe. Pulling herself into a sitting position Kagome took in her surroundings and gasped. No...not here. Anywhere but here. Not again. And not with her son. She couldn't have him suffering the same ordeal. "How is this possible?" She breathed "How can the hell mouth be the actual hell Naraku had sent me to?"

"M-mommy...?" Kagome looked down at her son to find him weakly opening his eyes "Are we dead?" Were they? How was she supposed to know? She still felt pain from the fall but she also felt pain when she had died the previous time

"It's no important darling" She kissed his forehead "What's important is that we find a way out of here" She then pulled herself to her feet and looked up at the seal "That will open again, Naraku wouldn't have gone to all this trouble just to throw us down here"

"You're right my lady, it will open again" A snickering hissing voice whispered

"Who's there?" She gasped as she frantically looked around her. A snake youkai stepped forward and bowed, he had limbs hanging from him as well as blood seeping from multiple wounds

"The seal will open once the sacrifice has died" His eyes fell upon Maru "The son belonging to the Taisho throne" Maru snuggled closer to his mother and whimpered "He looks quite delicious"

"He's only a child" Kagome snapped "Can you not have me and set him free?"

"You? Why would you be worth anything to us?" He snickered just as numerous other youkai in his condition stepped forward from the shadows

"I am the mate of Prince Sesshoumaru, that must be worth something"

"The Prince Sesshoumaru would not mate a weak human, don't make us laugh. Now hand over the child or perish"

"Go to hell!" Kagome snapped as she held Maru closer "You disgusting blood thirsty beasts, you will never have him" She was about to run but found she was surrounded by the youkai "Gods" She gasped. She kissed Maru's forehead and dropped to her knees "I'll try to purify them for as long as I can, I want you to run for your life"

"No mommy" Maru cried "I don't want you to die" The youkai then moved closer "DADDY. I want daddy" Just as he said this a pure light shot up from his hands and dispersed all the youkai around them

"What..." The light then flew in front of them and held the form of a human female

"Lady Kagome" Kagome squinted her eyes to see that the woman was actually the great miko Midoriko

"Lady Midoriko" She gasped "How are you here? Shouldn't you be in Naraku's grasp?"

"On the contrary" Midoriko smiled "My very being lies in the hands of your son" Maru himself then curiously opened his hands to reveal the now pure Shikon no Tama

"Maru how did you get this?"

"The jewel reacted to his fear when Naraku had him in his grasp, it recognized him as your son and wished to protect him. Naraku still believes he holds the jewel and is fighting with your mate Sesshoumaru" The great miko explained "Though Naraku still holds power to kill him, Sesshoumaru can only bring him to his end if you are at his side. As of now Sesshoumaru is fighting out of anger and grief, he believes you are dead. His fight is blind, even if Inuyasha and Inutaisho join the fight their reason will be the same as his therefore none of them will win"

"Does this mean you can get us out of here?" Kagome asked hopefully

"Yes child, though first I need you to make an unselfish wish on the jewel. Only then can this world be free of it"

"I understand" Kagome then turned to her son "Maru please give mommy the jewel"

"Okay mommy" Maru then handed his mother the jewel as she stood with him in her arms

"I wish...I wish..." Kagome pondered "Midoriko, is there such thing as an unselfish wish?" The great miko looked down at Kagome and smiled softly

"No Kagome, there is no such thing as an unselfish wish. I knew you'd figure it out" The jewel then dispersed in Kagome's hands as some of her purification powers shot from her and into Midoriko "Now I shall send both you and your son back to the world of the living, the key to defeating Naraku is to work together. Have a wonderful life with raising your son and living with your mate" She then outstretched her hands as she allowed her powers to seep from her and embrace Kagome and Maru "With the last of my powers I shall bestow you with a gift that shall aid you in escaping this hell and in killing Naraku" Arrows and a bow appeared before them just as Midoriko disappeared to sleep for an eternity in peace

"Mommy where did the pretty lady go?"

"To heaven, darling. Now I need you to get on my back so I can bust us out of here" Maru did as he was told just as Kagome reached out and grasped the bow and arrows. She notched a quiver in her bow and aimed it at the seal "You ready to see daddy?"

"Yep" Maru beamed as he wrapped his arms around his mother's neck "Can I help?"

"What do you mean honey?" Without giving a vocal reply Maru leaned over his mother's shoulder and placed his hand over his mother's, the notched bow glowed an even purer colour "Maru you have purification powers?"

"I guess" He laughed at her face "Come on mommy, I want to see daddy"

"Sure thing honey" Kagome then released the arrow that flew straight into the seal. Both hers and Maru's power engulfed it causing it to smash open. A light then shone down onto them and began to pull them up to the exit "Hold on tight Maru"

"I am I am" He huffed half heartedly. The closer they got the wider Kagome's smile grew, this was it. They would finally defeat Naraku and live as a happy normal family. Finally.

Blood red crimson filled Sesshoumaru's eyes as he blindly attacked Naraku, he had once again lost a loved one to him. This vermin would have to die if he had any chance of being happy. He needed to do this for himself, his kingdom and of course his family. Sesshoumaru dodged one of Naraku's tentacles as flew forward, he struck the hanyou in the arm but also ended up getting stabbed in the stomach by Byakuya. Sesshoumaru ignored his wound and carried on. As soon as Byakuya cowardly struck his brother, Inuyasha growled and joined in. There was no way he was going to allow his brother get outnumbered but he also his brother was fighting in a blind rage. He needed to calm him before he ended up killing himself "Sesshoumaru let's move back and think of a better plan"

"I do have a plan Inuyasha and that's to lop this bastard's head off" Sesshoumaru barked as he swung his sword at Naraku

"He'll kill you, you're not thinking straight"

"I won't die"

"You will if you keep fighting, Byakuya's sword went straight through you. Look at all of your blood that's splattered on the floor, you're killing yourself" But Sesshoumaru just ignored his brother, he just continued thrashing at his enemy

"Don't be an idiot Sesshoumaru, move back" Getting really annoyed with Byakuya's hindering Inuyasha lifted his fang and sent his most deadly blow at him "ADAMENT BARRAGE"

"Nice try whelp" Byakuya laughed as he knocked the blast back with his own blade "Your petty attacks are futile" He then dived forward and slashed diagonally across Inuyasha's chest. The youngest brother yelped in pain causing Inutaisho to run forward and protect his youngest

"Go back to your mate and daughter, Inuyasha, I'll finish things from here"

"You need to stop Sesshoumaru dad, he's killing himself" Inuyasha winced as he took a step back "He..." He was cut off by the seal to the hell mouth being blown to pieces "What the...?" Both Sesshoumaru and Naraku stopped their battling and turned to the seal, a bright pure light was shining out of it making all the youkai step back in fear of getting purified.

"Sango go take a look" Jen spoke "You're the only one who will not get purified, leave Yukiko with me" The demon slayer nodded and handed her only child to Jen. She then moved over to the seal and hesitantly leaned forward to get a better look

"Sango be careful" Inuyasha called "I won't be able to get to you if anything happens" She then gasped causing the hanyou to jump "What's wrong?"

"You're okay" Sango cried as she outstretched her hands and leaned down to grasp something, everyone watched on as she pulled out something from the hell mouth

"Maru?" Inutaisho gapped "But..." Yes, Sango had Maru securely in her arms just as Kagome flew out and landed beside her

"How are you two alive?" Sango sniffled as she wiped her tears away

"Midoriko" Kagome smiled as she bluntly dropped her bow. She then turned and ran straight at Sesshoumaru, she dived directly onto him and pressed her lips against his. Sesshoumaru's arms immediately wrapped around his lover's waist as he deepened the kiss, his eyes returned to their normal golden shade just as he closed them

"H-how is she alive?" Byakuya stuttered, suddenly beginning to fear for his life "I can feel that wench's power, she can kill us"

"We will live for as long as I hold the Shikon no Tama in my grasp" Naraku snarled

"You haven't got it" Maru sang from Sango's arms "Mommy got rid of it" Kagome broke away from her mate and smirked at Naraku

"You are as mortal as anyone here and you are the same hanyou you were five years ago" She then pulled from Sesshoumaru's hold and retrieved her bow and arrows "When you frightened my son and slit his cheek the beings in the Shikon no Tama recognized him as mine, they feared for his life and sort to comfort him. That's why when he purified you the jewel went into his hands just before we got sucked into the hell mouth"

"You wench!" Byakuya growled

"Heh you think you've won?" Naraku snickered "By escaping the hell mouth you broke the seal so that it would no longer open or close. Soon the beings of hell will pull themselves to this world where you will then be doomed"

"Well yeah, either that or I could just reverse everything" Kagome mused "A drop of the enemy's blood should close it"

"Then it is unfortunate that I do not bleed" The dark hanyou laughed "Your plan has failed"

"Has it?" With incredible speed Kagome shot Byakuya in the chest and purified him "Sesshoumaru..."

"I know" Sesshoumaru in turn then grabbed the youkai and threw him into the hell mouth

"Byakuya was just you in another form, his blood was your blood. It will still do the same trick" And as she said this the earth itself began pulling itself together in order to seal up the hell mouth for an eternity "Now nobody can endure that realm again" Naraku grin had now faded to a scowl. How dare she! How dare some time travelling wench come into this world and defeat all of his plans. She would not get away with this

"You WILL die!" He then dived forward and shot one of his tentacles straight at her but he didn't get far. Both Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha knocked him back and aimed their swords directly at him

"All it takes is one final blow Naraku and you'll die" Sesshoumaru smirked

"No more tricks, this is the real deal" Inuyasha added as he raised his blade "WIND SCAR"

"DRAGON STRIKE" Sesshoumaru shouted in turn as he used Bakusaiga

"GO!" Kagome shot her bow straight at him, there was no where for him to run. The attacks were just too big, there was no way he could get away in time

"Curse you all" Naraku screamed as all three attacks hit him "Curse you all...AHHHHHHHH" His body was ripped to shreds and his soul was sent to the underworld. Some of his flesh remained floating in the air and tried to reform

"Why won't the bastard just die!?" Inuyasha growled as he lifted his sword

"No Inuyasha get down" Miroku shouted as he pulled himself to his feet "WIND TUNNEL" Sesshoumaru managed to push Inuyasha to the floor with himself just as Miroku sucked Naraku's remains into his hand. Kagome was already out of harms way so all was well. "Finally" Miroku was about to seal his hand back up when the wind tunnel began to shrink

"It's closing up" Jen smiled "You can finally live without the fear of dying, Monk" And with that Miroku ran around cheering. Everyone else just shook their heads

Upon hearing the monk's cheers Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha pulled themselves to their feet and nodded to each other "We did it Sessh, we don't have to worry about that bastard harming our loved ones again"

"Indeed little brother" Sesshoumaru genuinely smiled but that soon faded when he backhanded him "And if you continue cursing around my pup you'll be joining Naraku in hell"

"Ow" Inuyasha yelped as he rubbed his ear "Kagome sort your mutt out" Sesshoumaru was about to attack his brother once again when the sound of his son's voice hit his ears

"DADDY" Forgetting about the hanyou, Sesshoumaru turned and kneeled just in time to see Maru collide into his chest crying with joy "I thought I'd never see you again" The Prince smiled softly as he stood with Maru in his arms

"I would have found a way to see you Maru, I'll always be here for you" He kissed his pup's forehead just as Kagome went over to them "You broke your promise" He mused as he pulled her into his embrace

"How did I?"

"You promised never to leave me again" He nuzzled her cheek

"Well sorry Sessh, I thought there'd be better looking youkai down there. After all there was a lot of 'hot' youkai down there" She laughed as she kissed his cheek

"Eww mommy" Maru grimaced "All those youkai were missing body parts"

"So? Your father was lacking an arm once"

"Yes but I made up for it with certain other parts" He smirked arrogantly

"Sesshoumaru" Kagome slapped his arm "Watch your mouth"

"Why? What did he say?" Maru cutely asked

"Uh...never mind darling" Kagome then took Maru from Sesshoumaru and set him on his feet "Now why don't you and Yukiko go find Rin and Shippo whilst I clean up daddy's wounds"

"Okay mommy" And with that Maru was gone

"It feels like a great weight has been lifted from our shoulders" Inutaisho smiled as he and Jen came over "We can finally live in peace"

"And perhaps we can grow our family" Jen hinted to her mate "I want a daughter to pamper since my son has grown up"

"Your wish is my command" Inutaisho grinned as he lifted Jen into his arms and carried her off to their chambers

"That's disgusting" Sesshoumaru almost rolled his eyes

"Maru will be saying the same thing when we're older" Kagome mused as she entwined her fingers with his. She was about to lean up and kiss him when Sango's shouting distracted her

"Inuyasha where are you running off to?"

"I've gotta go find that stinking wolf, someone's gotta brag to him that Naraku's dead" He grinned

"Oh no you don't, you're staying here to rest up" She shouted as she ran after him. Kagome and Sesshoumaru watched on with amused smiles on their faces

"Since Naraku's dead perhaps we can try for another pup" Kagome grinned as she looked up at her mate "We wouldn't want Maru getting lonely now would we"

"I completely agree" Sesshoumaru then leaned down and claimed her lips

"Sessh, are you glad it is me you're mated to?"

"Yes Kagome, very much so" He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close

"Looking back now is there anything you would change?" She asked

"Indeed" He kissed her brow "I would have claimed you sooner" He smirked "And what of you?"

"I would have run off with you the first day I met you" She winked "So is this our happily ever after? A Prince and her Princess living in their palace and raising their son?"

"I believe it is...my little miko"

THE END

**And it is finally finished**

**I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I did writing it**

**I'd like to thank everyone for reading and reviewing, you guys are the reason I write :)**

**Oh and sorry about the cheesy ending, but Kagome can be cheesy when she wants to be**

**Well here's me asking for the last time...**

**Reviews please :)**

**Thanks again guys**

**Inuyashasesshy4eva**

**xXx**


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